Poor health has forced Kiwi sporting great Ivan Mauger to withdraw from public life.

As the world’s top sports riders arrived in New Zealand for this weekend’s FIM Speedway Grand Prix event at Western Springs, Mauger’s management has announced that the six-time speedway world champion is battling ”poor health”.

The 73-year-old was on hand at the Auckland track last year for the first-ever New Zealand leg of the FIM’s world championship.

But the Australian-based Mauger – a member of the New Zealand Sports Hall of Fame – will not be back in 2013.

”Ivan Mauger, the most-decorated motorcycle speedway rider of all time, has announced his retirement from public life,” the statement said.

”Because of poor health and a wish to spend more time with his family he has decided he will not be undertaking any further public engagements or media commitments.”

During a record-breaking career, Mauger won the individual Speedway World Championship in 1968, 1969, 1970, 1972, 1977 and 1979. He was runner-up in 1971, 1973 and 1974, and third in 1967.

Representing New Zealand, Mauger was Speedway World Pairs Champion in 1969 and 1970. He was runner up in 1971, 1972, 1978 and 1981.

He also won the Speedway World Team Cup Championship in 1979 with New Zealand.

In 1976 he was awarded an MBE, followed by an OBE in 1989.

In September 2007, the Canterbury Museum opened a display honouring the Christchurch-born rider’s racing career.

Mauger donated some of his prized racing belongings for the display, including a gold-plated race bike, trophies and other memorabilia.

He said at the time: ”My exhibition is also recognition of what speedway means to Christchurch. We are still the only city in the world to produce three world champions and we all started at the Aranui track. Aranui, through Ronnie Moore, Barry Briggs and myself is quite a famous name in all speedway nations.

”Like most kids in the South Island we were taken on school trips to Canterbury Museum at some stage and I have also visited the museum with my parents when I was a child.

”My mum and dad would have been very proud of me in having this exhibition at the Canterbury Museum and I have dedicated the exhibition to them.”

In the 1990s and early to late 2000s, Mauger held annual training camps for aspiring New Zealand riders.

Mauger was instrumental in bringing the Longtrack Speedway World Championships round to Taranaki in 2004.

The main photo (above) pictures Mauger riding a demonstration lap at the event, showing he still has scintillating skills on a bike at age 64.

© Photos by Andy McGechan, www.BikesportNZ.com