Romania's world and Olympic rowing champion Elisabeta Lipa said Monday afternoon in Botosani, north of the capital, that she will not participate in the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing.

Lipa said she is in a good shape, but will not participate as a sign of protest against the government, who failed to finance the construction of an Olympic track at Snagov, some 30 km north of Bucharest.

The government promised after the Olympic Games in Athens in 2004 that the track will be ready in short time, but the authorities failed to keep their world, she said.

"It is a big disappointment that my wish was not fulfilled, but sport taught me to have a good morale and I will do everything to see the project done," said Lipa.

Lipa, 43 years old, is the most decorated rower in the history of the Olympics, winning five golds, two silvers and one bronze.

She holds the record for the most years between gold medals, at 20 years.

Lipa debuted at the age of 19 at the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, where she won her first gold medal in the double scull event. She won her most recent gold medal in the eight-oared boat at the Athens Summer Olympics in 2004.

She is the only person to win a gold medal in the two premiere rowing events: the single scull and the eight oared boat. She is also believed to be the only person to win a gold medal in both a sculling (two oars per person) and a sweep (one oar per person) event.