COLOMBO, June 12: Sri Lankan sprinter Damayanthi Darsha, a three-time Asian gold medallist, announced her retirement on Tuesday.

The 32-year-old Darsha, a 400-metre specialist, is the only Sri Lankan to win three Asian Games gold medals. In the 1998 Games she won gold medals in both the 200 and 400 metres. In the 2002 Games held in Busan, South Korea, she took gold in the 400 metres.

Plagued by injury in the latter stages of her 17-year career, Darsha said she was disappointed she could not win an Olympic medal for the country.

Her team-mate, Susanthika Jayasinghe, won a bronze medal in the 200 metres at the 2000 Sydney Olympics. —AFP