Candace Chapman retires from Canadian women's soccer team

​Veteran defender Candace Chapman, a member of Canada's bronze-medal winning women's soccer team at the 2012 London Olympics, has announced her retirement.

Chapman helped Canada reach the final of the inaugural FIFA Women's U-19 World Cup in 1999, then earned 114 caps over a decade with the Canadian senior women's team.

"It has been an emotional journey to step away from playing the game I love and being around my teammates, past and present, who all have a special place in my heart. There are many amazing memories that I will forever cherish," Chapman said in a statement.

Chapman was born in Port-of-Spain, Trinidad and Tobago, and moved to Ajax, Ont., at age six.

She made her senior level debut March 1 2002 at the Algarve Cup against Scotland and scored her first senior international goal against Argentina at the 2008 Olympics.

She was expected to be a key defender for Canada at the London Games, but suffered a calf injury in a 2-1 preliminary-round loss to Japan. She shook off the pain to come in as a late substitution in Canada's 1-0 win over France in the bronze-medal game.

"Throughout that whole Olympic campaign, she was an absolute key player right up until her injury at the Olympics, which was one of the saddest things at that time," said head coach John Herdman.

"For her to come back in the France game and come on the pitch and see the game out for our girls and add what she added to pick up the bronze medal, it was almost the story being concluded at that point. It was just a great journey."

Chapman has been involved in coaching at the under-17 level.

She will be honoured before Canada's friendly against England in Hamilton on Friday in advance of the Women's World Cup.