Posted: July 10, 2007

Athletics (RRW): Shaheen To Miss World Championships

From David Monti © 2007 Race Results Weekly, all rights reserved RaceResultsWeekly.com By Bob Ramsak LAUSANNE -- Injury will force Saif Saaeed Shaheen, the two-time defending world champion in the 3000m steeplechase, from retaining his title at next month's IAAF World Championships in Osaka. Shaheen, 24, sustained a knee injury just prior to the Prefontaine Classis early last month, forcing him out of races in Ostrava, Czech Republic, and Athens in June. In a statement today, the Kenyan-born world record holder in the event confirmed he's lost too much training time to compete in Osaka, where he had also planned to contest the 5000 meters. "I am disappointed not to get a chance to make it 3 world titles in a row but I have to be sensible and let my knee rest so that I can prepare for the Olympic Games next year," said Shaheen, who has represented Qatar since 2003. A recent examination confirmed that Shaheen suffered no permanent damage to his knee, but rest was recommended, further setting back his training. Shaheen hasn't race since the IAAF World Cup in Athens last September where he won both the 5000 and steeplechase. His win streak in the steeplechase, currently at 24, is among the longest unbeaten streaks in the sport. Subscribe to the Runner's Web Weekly Digest