March 9, 2007 (Sapporo, Japan) – Katerina Neumannova has decided to retire following her victory at the women’s 10-kilometer (6.2-mile) freestyle race at the World Championships in Sapporo, Japan on Feb. 27.

“That’s it,” said the 34-year-old Neumannova. “I want to end my career while on top. I know that I can still successfully compete against younger girls, but I don’t want to be greedy. I feel it’s the best time to say goodbye now, as a champion,” she told the The Prague Post

Neumannova, who debuted on the international circuit in 1991, is still scheduled to compete in two World Cup races in Sweden with a goodbye party later in Prague in May.

Her 10km win marked her sixth Nordic Worlds medal. Earlier at these world championships she won a silver on Feb. 25 in the 15-kilometer skiathlon. Neumannova won her first Nordic Worlds gold, in 2005 in Obersdorf, Germany. In 2006 her biggest career victory was winning the 30km freestyle event at the Torino Winter Olympics.

Last year Neumannova became the first female athlete in 12 years to be named the Czech Republic’s Athlete of the Year.