Anier Garcia, seen in 2005, was Cuba's first Olympic champion in the 110-metre hurdles. (Bru Garcia/Getty Images)

Anier Garcia, who won Olympic gold and bronze for Cuba in the 110-metre hurdles, announced on Thursday that he is retiring from competition.

Garcia, 32, won the gold medal at the 2000 Sydney Games and took bronze in the event four years later in Athens.

Teammate Dayron Robles has followed in Garcia's footsteps, easily taking gold in Beijing in August.

"It's a strange sensation. I still feel active but it's time for me to retire," Garcia told The Associated Press in a telephone interview. "I'm a little bit sad and somewhat frustrated because I was unable to achieve some things, but my greatest satisfaction is Dayron's victory in Beijing."

Garcia is no stranger to Canada. He finished first in the hurdles at the 1999 Pan American Games in Winnipeg, and two years later was second behind Allen Johnson of the United States at the world championships in Edmonton.

He also finished with the silver behind Johnson in 1999 at the World Championships in Seville, but got the best of him a year later on the Olympic stage in Sydney.

"It was great. That day I felt very good and confident in my abilities," he said. "I beat all my rivals, including my biggest one, the one I most admire, American Allen Johnson."

Garcia told AP winning the bronze four years later in Athens might have been an ever bigger achievement.

"I was able to recover from an injury," he said. "I found that extra step that no one knew I had, not even me."

China's Xiang Liu won the first track medal in his country's history in that race, but was unable to defend in Beijing two months ago due to injury.

Garcia also competed in the 60-metre hurdles during the indoor season, winning the indoor worlds in Paris in 1997.

The Cuban champion said an assortment of leg injuries had taken their toll and helped lead to his announcement.

With files from the Associated Press