KENT'S double Olympic gold medallist Dame Kelly Holmes has announced her retirement from athletics.

Holmes, from Hildenborough, near Tonbridge, had been named in England's team for the Commonwealth Games in March, but has now decided to end her career.

She admitted she was no longer motivated to continue. Holmes secured gold in the 800m and 1500m at last year's Olympics.

She made her final UK track appearance in August after an injury-plagued 12 months but has now fully recovered from the Achilles injury which forced her out of the World Championships in August.

Holmes told the BBC she reassessed her future after the death of Tim O'Brien, whom she met while undergoing physiotherapy.

She told the BBC: "I went for lunch with him and talked about life in general and had a good old chat. He said he didn't feel well that day after falling over while playing tennis.

"I flew back to South Africa the day afterwards and then got a message...to say that Tim had been kept in hospital and had been given four weeks to live. It just totally shook me up and started making me think about my future.

"I had to make sure I had other reasons for not being in athletics any more. I have achieved everything I wanted to in my life and want to make the most of my life from now on."