Former 800 metres world champion Andre Bucher announced his retirement after failing to recover from a string of injury setbacks.

The 30-year-old Bucher won gold at the Edmonton world championships in 2001 and also shared in that season’s Golden League jackpot, but he was unable to build on that success after suffering fitness problems including a persistent left heel injury.

The Swiss athlete, who also won two outdoor and one indoor European championship silver medals in his favoured discipline, announced his decision at a press conference in the central Swiss city of Cham.

After missing all of last season in an attempt to regain his fitness, Bucher said he had been told he would need a further operation requiring a further layoff of around three to four months – an option which he chose not to take.

Describing the decision as „extremely difficult“ the runner said he wanted to enjoy life as an amateur runner without further damaging his health.

Source/Courtesy
European Athletics (EAA)
https://www.european-athletics.org/
EAA