Khubbieva not willing to bring down curtains

Guangzhou: Though well in her mid-30s, veteran sprinter Guzel Khubbieva of Uzbekistan has no plans to stop.

"I don't think too much about my age, after all it is just a number," Khubbieva told Gulf News after finishing second in the women's 100 metres dash at the 16th Asian Games here.

"I think time has rewarded me with more experience than most of my competitors and the idea is to go as long as I can," Khubbieva smiled.

The 34-year-old defending champion of Asia, clocked a season's best of 11.34secs to claim the silver just 0.01sec behind Japan's Chisato Fukushima — a full 12 years her junior.

Khubbieva stepped into the limelight in 2002 after she picked up her first Asian medal in the 4x100m relay in Busan. And though 2005 was a good year for her with two silver medals in the 100 metres and 200m at the Asian Athletics Championships in Incheon, South Korea, Khubbieva's potential was realized at the 2006 Doha Asian Games where she took the gold in the 100 metres in a time of 11.26 seconds and the silver in the 200 metres.

However, though she hit her peak in Almaty in June 2007 while running her best time of 11.20 seconds so far, the decline has been slow, yet steady as she has got slower each year. In 2008, her best was 11.38 seconds and in 2009, she clocked 11.31 seconds.

"You cannot compare me with these athletes as they are much younger than me, but I still have a passion for my sport," Khubbieva said.

"I don't feel it is time for me to retire. I think I can still have some great performances in the future. I am sure I will be competing in the future for as long as I can."