Marita Koch, the East German sprint star...

Marita Koch, the East German sprint star who set 16 world records, has announced her retirement.

Koch, 29, won a gold medal in the women’s 400 meters in the 1980 Olympics but missed the 1984 Los Angeles Games because of the Soviet-led boycott.

Koch was quoted as saying she was retiring partly for health reasons.

“For years, I have been plagued by trouble with my Achilles’ tendon. I have been forced more and more to break training,” she said.

Koch competed at 100, 200 and 400 meters and often was ranked among the world’s top sprinters. She also ran on national teams in the 400-meter and 1,600-meter relays.

In 1979, she became the first woman to run the 400 meters under 49 seconds, clocking 48.60 seconds. She bettered that mark in 1985, setting her last world record by running the 400 in 47.60.