Longo no longer frightened by retirement

Image 1 of 2

Fifty-two-year-old Frenchwoman Jeannie Longo has hinted that she is considering retirement. The multiple world champion is considering her future in the sport, saying her participation this season is only a "maybe" and that she is "a bit tired psychologically".

"The season starts only in a few months, but at my age, a few months is a lot of time," Longo told French daily Le Parisien. The veteran admitted that much of her thinking came down to a "difficult winter" and she supposed her motivation could return in the spring.

Having previously stated that her Olympic career is over following seven appearances, the veteran has confirmed that London is out of the question. "I don't have this in mind, absolutely not," Longo said.

Longo is the most successful female cyclist in the history of the sport with over 1000 victories to her name including 38 world records and a total of 106 medals at the Olympic Games, the Worlds and the French Championships.

Longo also explained that the thought of retirement in the past frightened her. "I can see other horizons," she said. "I can now accept things that seemed inconceivable to me, like for example skipping one day of training."