BRUSSELS (AP) — Olympic high jump champion Tia Hellebaut announced on her 32nd birthday yesterday that she was coming out of retirement and aims to compete at the 2012 London Games.

The Belgian made the announcement eight months after giving birth to a daughter and 14 months after her retirement.

Hellebaut retired Dec. 5, 2008, capping a year in which she won gold at the Beijing Olympics. When she quit she was also the reigning world indoor pentathlon winner and European indoor and outdoor high jump champion.

“I am ambitious,” she said. “It would be silly to make the rounds of small events. The goal is the 2012 Olympic Games in London. I hope to regain my form by next year.”

Since retiring, Hellebaut has been working for a sports marketing organization. She began training again last September.

Hellebaut said the successful comebacks of Belgian tennis players Kim Clijsters and Justine Henin were partly behind the reason for her return.

“I wanted to know how Kim handled it all with Jada,” Hellebaut said, referring to Clijsters’ young daughter. “I asked myself if that would be possible for high jumpers.”