WORLD and Olympic champion Rebecca Romero has confirmed that she won’t be defending the individual and team pursuit titles at the World Track Cycling Championships in Poland next month.

The international rower turned cyclist was speaking after her Q and A session at the Sports Colleges Conference in front of more than 1,200 teachers a fortnight ago.

She said: “At the moment it is the right decision for me to back off from competition. I have been a full-time athlete for ten years.

“The Worlds and the Olympics were only six months apart and I have made the decision that I am not ready to get back on a bike and compete yet.

“Looking ahead to the London Olympics, now is the time to take that mental and physical break. I am still training. It has been hectic post-Beijing stuff right up until the new year.

“It’s only in the last six weeks I have felt that I have been able to recover and get some enthusiasm back.

“We will see what happens after the Worlds next month when we will look to set more goals and I will dabble in other cycling disciplines for the moment.”

Romero was the final guest at the Conference organised by the Youth Sport Trust themed: ‘Leading the Change’ which focussed on the skills and techniques needed to drive the education and sporting landscape in schools.

She said: “I was very nervous. I know now that some people hang on everything you say and expect you to have words of wisdom because you are an Olympic champion.

“But it’s good that I am in this position where I may be able help to inspire people. It’s great that sport is being held up in schools as being important.

“It is important in looking for the next generation of top athletes but I also think it helps to develop social and life skills while kids are growing up. I think sport can also be tool for all round development.”