American sprinter Tim Montgomery has called time on his athletics career after being banned for two years after failing a drugs test.
Montgomery was stripped of his 100 metres world record, his gold and silver medals from the 2001 World Championships and had all his results since March 31, 2001 expunged from the record books.
The 30-year-old will not be allowed to compete until summer 2007, but he has opted to quit now rather than serve his ban and then return to the track.
Charges brought by the United States Anti-Doping Agency were based on evidence collected in raids on the Bay Area Laboratory Co-operative (BALCO), and both Montgomery and fellow US sprinter Chryste Gaines were found guilty by the Court of Arbitration for Sport of using performance-enhancing substances.
Montgomery, who turns 31 in January, won silver in the 100m at the 2001 World Championships and gold in the sprint relay. He set a world record of 9.78 seconds for the 100m the following year.
Montgomery's coach Steve Riddick claimed the North Carolina-based athlete may return after his ban expires, but that has now been ruled out.
