Liu, 22, capped her career with one beam gold in Sydney Olympics last year, the first Olympic beam title for the Chinese gymnastics, and became China's only three Olympic champions in women's gymnastics.

"Gymnastics has brought me lots of happiness, and taught me many things," said Liu.

Liu, who began to practice gymnastics since the age of five, said that despite retirement, she would keep herself to the sport.

"I just retire from the competition, not the sport itself," she said.

Liu has begun to study journalism in Peking University. "In the next four years, I will concentrate myself on the study," she said.

(People's Daily March 29, 2002)