Rudisha out of Doha Diamond League meet

Kenyan David Rudisha, the world record holder in the men’s 800m and one of the main drawcards, has withdrawn from the season-opening Diamond League meeting tomorrow.

Rudisha, who broke Wilson Kipketer’s long-standing record over the two-lap race twice last year for a best of 1:41.01, is suffering from an injury to his left foot that prevented him from training over the past week.

The injury was not considered serious, organisers of the Doha meet said.

“I am very disappointed not to be able to run at this meeting, where I have opened my summer racing season for the last four years,” said Rudisha, who opened his season at the IAAF World Challenge meeting in Melbourne on March 3, clocking 1:43.88, the fastest in the world this season.

Rudisha’s doctor described the injury as peritendinitis of the foot’s flexor muscles of the left lower leg, but added that there was “no injury of the ankle, no stress reaction/ fracture, and no cartilage injury”.

Rudisha’s injury setback is not expected to impact his scheduled race appearances later this month.

The Doha Diamond League kicks off a 14-meet season which bridges the August 27-September 4 World Athletics Championships in Daegu, South Korea.