Posted: July 21, 2005

Athletics: Kelly Holmes Out Of London Grand Prix & World Championships

From David Monti

© 2005 Race Results Weekly, all rights reserved RaceResultsWeekly.com

Double Olympic gold medalist, Kelly Holmes, has been forced to withdraw from Friday's Norwich Union London Grand Prix, and has ruled out competing in next month's IAAF World Championships in Athletics because of a nagging Achilles injury.

"I am bitterly disappointed because I was desperate to run in my home meeting," Holmes said in a press release distributed by her federation, UK Athletics. "My physio Alison Rose and I have decided I need to stop pushing myself to recover."

Holmes, who swept Britons off of their feet with her sweep of the Olympic 800m and 1500m last summer, was the primary reason for the sold out house for Friday's meeting in London. She is now literally royalty, given the title "Dame" by the Queen.

"All my focus is now on racing in Sheffield," she added referring to the British Grand Prix scheduled for August 21. "It's the most important thing for me at the moment and means more to me than any other race this season."

The Sheffield meeting would be her last on British soil; Holmes will retire after this season.