The Norwegian won her eighth career gold medal at Pyeongchang 2018. 

"I don't feel I have the motivation required to give 100 per cent for another season, that's why I'm quitting," she told Norwegian public broadcaster NRK.

"I thought that this would be easier to announce.

"I'm touched, it has been an era in my life for over 20 years.

"So it's special to say that this is my last season as top athlete."

Bjørgen first competed on the World Cup circuit as a teenager in 1999 and captured the first of 114 individual World Cup victories three years later.

She made her Olympic debut at Salt Lake City 2002, where she won a 4x5 kilometres relay silver medal, before securing a 10 kilometres classical silver at Turin 2006, despite suffering from bronchitis in the build-up.

Bjørgen then won three gold medals plus a silver and a bronze at Vancouver 2010 before a further golden hat-trick at Sochi 2014.

At Pyeongchang 2018, she captured gold medals in the 30km classical and as part of the 4x5km relay team.

Bjørgen also won silver and bronze medals in the 15km skiathlon and 10km freestyle and team sprint.

This haul ensured her leapfrogged fellow Norwegian Ole Einar Bjørndalen as the most decorated Winter Olympian ever.

Bjørndalen, the biathlete who has won 14, announced his retirement earlier this week. 

Bjørgen is also the second most successful woman at either the Summer or Winter Olympics.

Soviet gymnast Larisa Latynina, winner of 18 medals, is the only person to have secured more. 

Bjørgen also won 18 World Championships titles over a 14-year period between 2003 and 2017.