QUEBEC — World champion moguls skier Jean-Luc Brassard retired Saturday from the sport he helped put on the map in Canada.

"I've won everything you can possibly win on the international scene of moguls skiing, and I'm really happy about the growth of the sport," said the 1994 Olympic gold medallist. "I'm sure a new generation of very talented moguls skiers will show up in the near future, and I'll be very happy that I was able to contribute to that."

Brassard, 30, suffered a serious knee injury at the World Cup final in 2000 that essentially wiped out his last two seasons. He was training in the French Alps last week when he decided to leave the sport he helped build.

"I discovered while training on a glacier in France last week that the time was right for me," said the native of Grand-Ile, Que. "The passion wasn't as strong as it used to be the past few years, and without that extra passion, that extra flame, it would have been very difficult for me to reach the levels of success I had before."

On top of winning gold in Lillehammer, Norway in 1994, Brassard was world champion in 1993 and 1997 and also World Cup champion in 1994, 1996 and 1997.

The Salt Lake City Olympics in 2002 were Brassard's fourth Games, and he was the flag-bearer for Canada at the Nagano Games in 1998.

Though carrying the Canadian flag should have been considered a highlight of Brassard's illustrious career, it instead turned into a nightmare.

A few days after carrying the flag, Brassard finished a disappointing fourth in the moguls. He was the defending champion and had been picked to repeat.

Frustrated, Brassard said carrying the flag, and all the duties that went along with it, might have contributed to him missing the podium.

His comments were interpreted as a French Canadian disrespecting the flag. Others accused him of dishing up a lame excuse. Brassard told Le Journal de Montreal that the flag controversy was the worst moment of his career.

"It's not as much my fourth place finish as the controversy over the Canadian flag in the rest of Canada, where they misunderstood me," said Brassard.

Knowing that he would be unable to reach the success he experienced earlier in his career, Brassard said it was difficult for him to continue as an also-ran.

"It wasn't giving me satisfaction just to be part of the race," he said. "I was really aiming to be on the podium every race, and I discovered it would have been very difficult for me over the next few years."<

Brassard said he plans to use his new found time off to, of all things, go skiing more often.

He also plans to spend a lot of time travelling, but now he'll actually be able to go to warmer countries in the winter time instead of following the snow around the world.

"I definitely won't regret being able to do that either," he said, laughing. "It's not a sad day for me, and it's even better because it's snowing outside while I'm talking to you."