After men’s Olympic champion Usain Bolt, women’s Olympic gold-medallist Shelly-Ann Fraser has also decided to give a miss to this year’s Commonwealth Games.
The Jamaican sprinter, who is the fourth fastest woman in the history, said she wants to concentrate on next year’s World Championships.
“It is a long season and trying to peak for the Commonwealths and then coming home in December to start training for a World Championships (next year) is too much to ask, especially for someone like me who is a also a student.
“I will be in school. I don’t think I am going,” Fraser was quoted as saying by BBC Sport. Fraser announced her decision at the Diamond League meeting in Eugene, Oregon, where she came second in the 100m behind another Jamaican, Veronica Campbell-Brown. However, the organisers here refused to confirm her pullout.
“I won’t comment. The last date to submit the names of the athletes is September 3. So far, we have received about 10,000 entries. Only after the cut-off date we will able to confirm participation of athletes,” said Lalit Bhanot, the Commonwealth Games Organising Committee secretary-general.