LONDON, Aug. 5 (Xinhua) -- Jamaican sprinter Asafa Powell has withdrawn from the IAAF Diamond League London leg as he felt tightness in his groin, announced the organizers on Friday.
Powell, 28, arrived in London on Tuesday and was expected to storm in the men's 100m race at the Crystal Palace National Sports Centre on Friday. However, a continued tightness in his groin forced him to make the decision to quit Friday morning.
I've had some tightness in my groin since Budapest, said Powell. I had hoped that it would have cleared by now but it's still there. I've been seeking treatment but had to make the decision today to withdraw. I am focusing on Daegu and as much as I'd like to run tonight, I just can't take the risk with the major championships three weeks away.
Powell leads this year's world best with a result of 9.78 seconds at Lausanne, Switzerland last month while his compatriot Usain Bolt still keeps the world record of 9.58 seconds which the Olympic champion set up two years ago at the Berlin World Championships.
The 13th World Athletics Championships will be held in Daegu, South Korea from August 27 to September 4.