TNT Sports
Holmes sets farewell date
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Published 21/04/2005 at 17:42 GMT+1
Dame Kelly Holmes has announced August's Sheffield Grand Prix will be her British track swansong. The double Olympic gold medallist, who has yet to confirm her participation in this summer's World Championships, said the August 21 meet will be her final a
Eurosport
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"This will be my last track season on British soil," said Holmes, who triumphed over 800m and 1500m in Athens. "Sheffield will be my last track race in the UK."
Holmes revealed her last-ever appearance may well come at the 2006 Commonwealth Games in Melbourne.
Since her double win in Greece - becoming only the third woman to win both events - Holmes admits she has been lacking the motivation needed to put herself through the gruelling training regime to remain at the top.
"If you look at my career, I've won 13 medals from Commonwealth Games, World Championships, Europeans and Olympic Games so I've got nothing to prove to myself or anybody else," Holmes said on Thursday.
"I've achieved my dreams so now I'm in a position to say, 'well I can do what I want.' At some stage it has to come to an end and I have to be satisfied I have made my own decision.
"The reception I get when I step onto the track is so amazing, it's such a buzz and at the minute that's what is driving me. Being announced as Olympic champion, enjoying the atmosphere and the support that is what I'm looking forward to for the rest of this season."
POSITIVE RESPONSE
But the question mark that hangs over her presence in Finland come the start of the Helsinki world championships on August 6th is one British athletics chiefs would want removed with a postive response.
Holmes pulled out of the compulsory trials for the European Indoor Championships earlier this year - costing her a &euro36,000 fine - but may find the temptation to claim a first world title, after two silvers and a bronze, irresistible.
But Holmes said, whatever her decision, she would be unlikely to repeat her Olympics heroics.
"I don't think I'll be emulating what happened in Athens," she admitted. "But whether I will ever double up again is another question.
"I'll be doing a combination of both events this season but I'm not expecting to win everything now. The focus is to do all the races in the UK and to get back out enjoying my running.
"Then if I'm fit enough to do the worlds and I think I have a great chance of a medal I'll go. If not, I won't."
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