Four-time world champion Hicham El Guerrouj has pulled out of next month's world championships in Helsinki and says he will conclude his glittering career in 2006.
The Moroccan, 31 in September, pulled off a sensational 1500-5000 metre double at last year's Athens Olympics when he became the first man since Paavo Nurmi in 1924 to win both events at one Games.
El Guerrouj had failed in two previous heartbreaking Olympic bids for the 1500m, winning silver in Sydney in 2000.
But he has been unable to get back to full-time training since Athens and a virus in May caused further disruption and forced him to pull out of the Nehgelo meeting in the Netherlands and Eugene in the United States.
And the International Association of Athletic Federations confirmed today that the Moroccan had pulled out of the Helsinki championships.
El Guerrouij won the 1500m world title in 1997, 1999, 2001 and 2003. He was silver medallist in 1995 and also won the 5,000m silver medal in 2003.
His 3min 26sec run in 1998 still stands as the world 1500m record.
