SAILING’S double Olympic gold medallist Sarah Ayton has today announced she is to retire from the sport with immediate effect.

The Weymouth star has ended her quest for an historic third Olympic title at the 2012 Games in order to spend more time with her 19-month-old son Thomas.

Thirty-year-old Sarah, who is married to Olympic bronze medal-winning windsurfer Nick Dempsey, began her 2012 campaign in earnest last April, nine months after giving birth to their son.

She has been sailing for Skandia Team GBR in the two-person 470 class with Beijing Olympian Saskia Clark.

Sarah, who claimed Olympic glory in the Yngling class in Athens with Shirley Robertson and Sarah Webb and again in Beijing with Webb and Pippa Wilson, was striving to become the first British woman to win three consecutive Olympic golds when the borough hosts the 2012 sailing events.

But for Sarah, of Wyke Regis, the demands of Olympic standard sailing and motherhood proved a relentless juggling act which left her drained and unhappy.

She said: “To succeed at the highest level as an Olympic athlete you ultimately have to be pretty single-minded and that’s something that just doesn’t sit happily when you’re a mum as well.

“Winning gold is what Olympic sailing is all about, so working towards 2012 and feeling like I can’t give it my full attention has made me question why I am doing it, especially when it involves missing out on important time with Thomas.

“Full engagement is what makes the difference between being average and being great, in Olympic sport.

“I am really looking forward to focusing my time and energy on Thomas, who’s now 19 months old and into everything – and to supporting Nick, who is working harder than ever on his own Olympic campaign, so that he has the best possible chance of winning gold in 2012.”

Ayton praised Clark, also of Wyke Regis, who she described as a ‘fantastic talent’.

She added: “I know she’s got 2012 firmly in her sights and is looking carefully at her options.

“I owe both Saskia and our coach Joe Glanfield huge thanks for the time and effort they have put into our programme."

* WEYMOUTH’S golden girl has pledged to still be involved in the 2012 Games when sailing events are hosted in the borough.

She said: “My sailing career has always been about the Olympics and I remain passionate and excited about 2012, so I hope there will be lots of other ways to remain involved over the next 18 months.”