World record-holder sustained an injury at the IAAF World Challenge meeting in Ostrava

David Rudisha has been forced to withdraw from the Sainsbury’s Birmingham Grand Prix on Sunday (June 7), the world-record holder explaining how the Diamond League meeting comes “a few days too soon” following an injury he sustained in Ostrava a week ago.

The Kenyan had been due to contest the 800m in Birmingham but pulled up clutching his leg when racing over 600m at the IAAF World Challenge meeting on May 26 and has failed to fully recover in time.

“I’m very disappointed not to be able to run in Birmingham this weekend,” he said. “I enjoyed very much the meet last year and was looking forward to coming back.

“I hope the athletics supporters understand that it’s an important season for me and I just can’t risk a race that soon.

“I am making good progress these last days but it will be just a few days too soon.”

The Olympic 800m champion, who clocked 1:40.91 to break the world record when claiming gold in London in 2012, won the world title over two laps in 2011 but was forced to miss the 2013 event through injury.

In total, 14 Olympic and 27 world gold medallists have been announced for the Birmingham Grand Prix, which is the fifth meeting in the 14-event Diamond League series.

Entry lists for the Birmingham Grand Prix can be found here, while the June 4 edition of Athletics Weekly magazine will include an event preview

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