Liv Grete Poiree retires

ByReuters

Published 20/03/2006 at 14:12 GMT

Biathlete Liv Grete Poiree, one of Norway's most successful female athletes, is retiring after a disappointing season.

BIATHLON Liv Grete Poiree Norway 2005

Image credit: Imago

The 31-year-old has failed to recapture her 2004 form when she won four world championship gold medals. She is 16th in this year's World Cup, a competition she won in the 2003-4 season.

"I can confirm that this will be my last World Cup race in Holmenkollen this weekend," she told Norwegian broadcaster NRK on Monday. She is married to French biathlete Raphael Poiree who leads the men's World Cup standings.

Liv Grete Poiree won two Olympic silvers in 2002 and failed to feature among the medallists at the Turin Olympics in February.

Holmenkollen