BEIJING, Jan 24: Chinese Olympic swimming champion Luo Xuejuan is set to retire from the sport due to an apparent heart condition, state press reported on Wednesday.

Luo, who will turn 23 on Friday, handed in a resignation request to the Zhejiang provincial sports bureau and is awaiting approval, the Beijing Daily Messenger reported, citing unnamed sources.

An announcement could come this week, the paper said. Sources told the paper that Luo was suffering from a heart condition.

Luo won the 100m breaststroke at the Athens Olympics, but over the past two years she has been unable to regain her form and had already been left off the national team for the March world swimming championships in Australia.

Swimming officials also cited unspecified injury problems when they left her out of China's squad for the Asian Games in December.

An official at China's National Swimming Centre refused to comment on Luo's reported retirement when contacted by AFP on Wednesday, but confirmed that the she was sick.

“She is ill, that is clear, but what kind of medical problem she has is not clear. I think there will be an announcement,” he said, while refusing to identify himself.

The Zhejiang sports bureau added confusion to the story, saying that they did not have the authority to accept the gold medalist's resignation.

“She is presently a member of the national team, if she wants to retire it is up to the state's swimming center to decide,” the official told AFP on condition of anonymity.—AFP