Heartbroken Aussie star to miss Olympics

Sydney - A heart problem forced Australia's four-time triathlon world champion Greg Welch to announce his retirement on Wednesday, just eight months before the sport he helped pioneer makes its Olympic debut at the Sydney Games.

The 34-year-old Welch said he been forced to quit the multi-discipline sport because of a rare and life-threatening condition.

Welch, who made the announcement through a press conference broadcast live on the Internet, said he was diagnosed with ventricular tachycardia, a condition which causes the heart to beat dangerously fast - up to 300 times a minute - after suffering an attack during last year's Hawaiian Ironman.

"I thought I was going to die - I had stars before my eyes and then I had this blank look in my eyes," Welch recalled.

"I couldn't see anything, even when my eyes were open."

Triathlon Australia paid tribute to Welch immediately after Wednesday's announcement, naming a grandstand on the Sydney triathlon course in honour of him. - Reuters