Former top sprinter Christophe Lemaitre decided to end his career at the age of 34 and after numerous injuries.
The Frenchman, four-time European champion and medal winner at the Olympic Games and World Championships, was the first white sprinter to run 100 m in under ten seconds.
"I did everything I could this year to take part in the Summer Games in Paris, but unfortunately I didn't succeed. This is a sign that I'm struggling to reach the high level again and that I have to stop," Lemaitre told the AFP news agency, confirming reports of his retirement in several media outlets.
Lemaitre's career, which has not run at international level since 2018, was marked by highlights at a young age. In 2010, aged just 20, he became triple European champion in the 100 m, 200 m and 4x100 m in Barcelona. At the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio, he secured the bronze medal in the half lap and accompanied sprint legend Usain Bolt to the podium.