Former Olympic boxing champ retires; cites brain injuries


2 photos
Save Story
Leer en español

Estimated read time: Less than a minute

This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.

LONDON (AP) — Former Olympic boxing champion Audley Harrison has retired, saying repeated blows to the head have left him with brain injuries.

The 43-year-old British fighter, who won the super-heavyweight gold medal at the 2000 Sydney Olympics, says medical tests showed he was suffering the effects of traumatic brain injury.

Harrison says he has problems with vision, balance and mood swings.

The former European heavyweight champion says: "After years of denial, I'm finally getting out of my own way."

Harrison has been out of the ring since being stopped in 70 seconds by Deontay Wilder two years ago.

Now living in California, Harrison says he also plans to file for bankruptcy after a series of bad investments.

Harrison never lived up to expectations after winning the Olympic title. He finished with a pro record of 31 wins and seven defeats.

Copyright © The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Photos

Most recent Olympics stories

Related topics

OlympicsNational Sports
The Associated Press

    ARE YOU GAME?

    From first downs to buzzer beaters, get KSL.com’s top sports stories delivered to your inbox weekly.
    By subscribing, you acknowledge and agree to KSL.com's Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.

    KSL Weather Forecast