Injury has forced Jamaican sprint star Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce to withdraw from a weekend athletics meet in Kenya that would have signalled the start of her international season.
“I am deeply disappointed to share that I will not be competing at the Kip Keino Classic,” Fraser-Pryce said in a statement on Friday, the eve of the event in Nairobi.
“I was truly looking forward to kick off my season at one (of) the greatest athletic events in East Africa,” she added.
Kip Keino Classic director Barnabas Korir said Fraser-Pryce suffered a knee injury during training at Nairobi’s Kasarani stadium on Thursday.
The women’s five-time world 100m champion had thrilled the Kenyan crowd at the Kip Keino last year with a sizzling 10.67 second victory.
Her American rival Sha’Carri Richardson is expected to run in the 200 metres on Saturday in her first competition in Kenya after pulling out of the event last year.
Richardson won the 100m at the opening Diamond League meeting of the season in Doha last week.
