By Gene Cherry
RALEIGH, North Carolina, May 16 (Reuters) – Double world
silver medallist Walter Dix will miss Sunday’s showdown against
British sprinter Dwain Chambers in England because of a tight
hamstring, he told Reuters on Wednesday.
Dix, favoured to run the 100 and 200 metres for the United
States at the London Games, had been scheduled to race Chambers
over 150 metres in Manchester.
The American also pulled out of Wednesday’s meeting in
Daegu, South Korea, as a precautionary move.
“(This) being the Olympic year my coach, John Smith, pulled
me (from Daegu) because he did not want to risk (injury),” Dix
said in a text message from South Korea.
He could have competed had the race been the U.S. trials,
Dix said.
“It’s nothing serious. There is no injury.
“It will be cleared up in a week … I will be ready for
Pre,” he added, referring to the June 2 Prefontaine Classic in
Eugene, Oregon.
Dix said the tight hamstring was from his quick 200m run
last Friday in Doha. He won the race in 20.02 seconds, his
fastest ever opening time for the event.
The American finished second to Jamaican Yohan Blake in the
world championship 100m last year and was runnerup to triple
Olympic champion Usain Bolt in the 200.
Dix also grabbed double bronze medals behind Bolt’s
record-breaking show at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
(Reporting By Gene Cherry in Raleigh, North Carolina; Editing
by Ian Ransom)
