Foster is forced to call it quits

Olympic champion Tim Foster today admitted defeat in his painful battle to save his rowing career and announced his retirement from international competition.

Foster, who partnered Steve Redgrave, Matthew Pinsent and James Cracknell in the British coxless four's triumph in the Sydney Games last year, has reluctantly decided that after years of heroically overcoming injuries to carve out a glittering career, his body can take no more.

But the 31-year-old from Chiswick will not be lost to the sport, as the Amateur Rowing Association revealed that it has awarded Foster a coaching scholarship so he can help mould the next generation of Britain's Olympic oarsmen.

Foster, who has twice had operations to remove discs from his back, underwent surgery on his troublesome right knee in September and was given the go-ahead to resume training in a bid to make another assault on gold at the Athens Olympics, but after much deliberation conceded it was time to quit.

He said: "It had been on the cards and had to happen sooner or later. I think my body has been trying to tell me something. It was a very difficult decision because rowing has been my life for the last 12 years at least and it's what I loved doing.

"I looked forward to getting out on the river but now I feel I'm better off looking forward and going into coaching rather than putting my body through the strain of the next few years."