Olympic rowing champion Duncan Free looks set to hang up his oars after his inspired shot at a fifth Olympic campaign was ruined by injury.
Australian rowing great Duncan Free's incredibly-brave shot at a fifth Olympic campaign has fallen short after finally succumbing to a terrible run with injury.
One of the country's most decorated all-round oarsman, whose career was almost ended 13 months ago due to a horrific cycling accident, Free has been unable to shrug off a troublesome rib-cartilage problem which flared again last week.
A gold medallist in the men's pair with Drew Ginn at the Beijing Olympics, he was attempting to be selected in the same event with Fergus Pragnell for the London Games.
The luckless Gold Coaster was forced to pull out of the World Cup 2 regatta in Lucerne, Switzerland after struggling badly in last Friday's heat on his 39th birthday.
It was a last-ditch bid for Free who twice had his plans of being selected with Ginn in the priority men's four boat dashed by misfortune in the past 13 months.
He was taken out by a motorist while cycling last May, causing a spiral fracture of his femur - which shattered into pieces and ultimately left his left leg 2.6cm shorter following surgery.
The veteran stunned doctors by working his way back into Rowing Australia's national squad by the end of 2011 and was poised to be selected in the new-model Oarsome Foursome before sustaining his rib injury in March.
His experience and renowned power saw Rowing Australia selectors show faith and name him in a five-man men's pair squad to be finalised this month.
A devastated Free said the rib problem left him with no option but to withdraw from the squad.
"The decision was tough and I'm extremely disappointed," he said on Saturday.
"I am quite proud that I was able to come back from the accident and trial for the Olympic Team, as 12 months ago I was unsure if I would ever be able to row again.
"I gave it my best crack and hung in there for as long as I could, but the body couldn't keep up as we were running out of time."
Free's injury will see James Marburg and former USA rower Brodie Buckland, named as the Australian men's pair.
The four-time Olympian, who won bronze in the quad sculls at the 1996 Atlanta Games, now looks set to retire from the sport.
Born in Hobart, Free also rowed in the quad sculls at the Sydney and Athens Games before switching to sweep events.
He won two world championships in the pair with Ginn in 2006 and 2007 before claiming an inspirational Olympic gold medal in Beijing when Ginn was badly hampered by serious back injury.
Free and coach Chris O'Brien were so concerned Ginn could break down before the final they hatched a contingency plan which saw team reserve Karsten Forsterling suit up and hide near the starting barriers during the pre-race warm-up.
