LONDON — After missing out on a semi-final place at the IAAF World Championships in London, Jamacia’s Warren Weir is apparently pulling the curtains down on his track and field career.
Weir, who trains with Usain Bolt and Yohan Blake at the Racers Track Club under coach Glen Mills, ran a disappointing 20.60 seconds for fourth place in heat 5 of the men’s 200m.
The time was only good enough for 26th overall, which means the 2012 Olympic bronze medallist failed to get past the opening round.
Following his performance, Weir used his social media account to announce what seems to have been an early retirement.
“No greater joy than being able to represent my country at its highest level,” the 27-year-old said on his Instagram account.
He added: “Lots of joy and tears and extremely humbled to represent my country one last time. #TheEnd.”
Weir finished behind Bolt and Blake at the London 2012 Olympic Games and was also a silver medal winner behind the world record holder at the 2013 World Championships in Moscow, Russia.
He owns a personal best of 19.79 seconds in the 200m and dipped below the magical mark eight times in what has been a successful career.
However, the Jamaican has not looked comfortable in the past few season and struggled to break the sub-20 seconds barrier in three years.
On Monday he ran tight and looked to be in some discomfort in the home straight.
If Weir does retire, he would fellow in the footsteps of Bolt who has also announced that he will retire at the end of the World Championships in London.
Elsewhere, after he took fourth place in the women’s Hammer Throw final, Zhang Wenxiu of China, one of the greats of the event, has decided to take off her gloves.
“I am upset because this is my ninth World Championships and it will be my last one,” Wenxiu said.
“This season has been hard for me because I had a baby last year, but I am happy to end it here.
“I started competing at 15 and I am 31 now so it is the end of a long career.”