(CNN) -- Former Olympic medallist Brendan Foster has told CNN he will try to persuade Haile Gebrselassie to stay in athletics after the Ethiopian distance runner announced his shock retirement.
The marathon world record holder, who won Olympic gold in the 10,000 meters in Atlanta and Sydney, said he was quitting the sport after dropping out of Sunday's New York marathon with a knee injury.
But Foster, who called Gebrselassie "clearly the greatest athlete of all time" said he hoped the 37-year-old, who set 27 world best times in his career, would still compete in the London 2012 Olympics.
"We'll never see his like again, that's the truth," he told CNN. "He has graced this sport, he's a fantastic man as well as a great athlete. He's a diamond, really".
CNN
