Kingston – Usain Bolt has pulled out of Saturday's Gibson Relays, another delay to the start of a 2012 campaign pointed toward his defence of his Olympic sprint titles in London.
“Due to Usain's unscheduled trip (to Europe) which resulted in his training disruption the coach, Glen Mills, has decided that Usain will not take part in the Gibson Relays,” Bolt's camp said in a one-line release.
It's the second local meeting Bolt will miss this month after he had left the island days prior to his traditional opener, the Camperdown Classic, two weeks ago.
Bolt, the reigning 100m and 200m Olympic champion, was slated to race a 400m at the low-key Camperdown meeting, but was seen in Germany where he reportedly went to see renowned sport medicine doctor Hans-Wilhelm Müller-Wohlfahrt.
Bolt, however, has downplayed rumors of an injury and reported up to last Sunday that he was fine.
Meet organizers in Europe said this month that Bolt will open his pre-Olympic season in Europe competing in the Golden Spike event in the eastern Czech city of Ostrava on May 25.
He will then compete in Rome on May 31, and in the Oslo Diamond League meeting on June 7. – Sapa-AFP