Cathy stops after losing drive

Cathy Freeman was today hailed as a "wonderful Australian" by Prime Minister John Howard and urged to take up politics after the Olympic gold medallist announced her retirement from athletics.

Howard paid tribute to Freeman, who won the hearts of a nation when she stormed to victory in the 400metres final at the Sydney Olympics.

A proud Aborigine, Freeman became the first to compete at an Olympic Games in 1992 and waved the flag of her people as well as Australia's southern cross on her lap of honour.

But she admitted yesterday the realisation she would never eclipse winning Olympic gold in her home country was behind her decision to retire. "I won't ever have the same fulfilling moment as I have already had," said Freeman. "I don't have the same hunger. I know what it takes to be the best in the world and I just don't have that feeling right now. I'm tired all of a sudden.

"I've lost that want, that desire, that passion, that drive. I don't care anymore.

"It has obviously not been easy to get to the point where I'm at now. But I felt I wasn't ready to say it aloud."

Howard refuted recent claims from boxer Anthony Mundine that Freeman had not done enough for the Aborigine people, declaring: "I think she has been a wonderful Australian, is a wonderful Australian.

"Her victory in the 400m at the Sydney Olympics was one of the great sporting events of our generation."

Australia's head athletics coach Keith Connor reflected: "It's very sad news for us in athletics, but it also puts an end to speculation as to what she was going to do."

Quite what Freeman will choose to do now remains to be seen. Since the Sydney Olympics, she has suffered a great deal of personal torment.

She ran the 400m relay at the Commonwealth Games with next to no training after taking time off to nurse husband Sandy Bodecker back to health after he was struck down by throat cancer. Their relationship ended earlier this year and Freeman, back on the track, found herself some way off the pace.

She was beaten by compatriot Jana Pittman, suffered her worst defeat in a decade when finishing fifth in the United States and began to doubt her resolve to continue.

It was then, according to coach Peter Fortune, that Freeman realised she lacked that competitive fire.

She worked hard at regaining it, but last month Freeman announced she would only compete in the relay at the upcoming World Championships because she no longer harboured the desire for personal glory.

However, even team glory is now not enough to spur her on. "After much soul-searching and deliberation I have come to the realisation that I simply do not have the desire to compete anymore," she said.

"My goal from when I was little was always to win an Olympic gold medal and to have done so in Australia - and also have the honour of lighting the Olympic cauldron - was more than I could have ever hoped for.

"Reality is setting in and it's time for me to just accept the fact that I no longer want to be the best athlete I can be, like I used to. I still have my passion to keep fit and train, but just my thirst to be the best is no longer in me, so retirement is it."