Athletics: James Dasaolu misses out on World Indoor Championships through injury
Sprinter James Dasaolu has abandoned plans to race at the World Indoor Championships because of injury.
Last Updated: 18/02/14 11:23pm
Dasaolu is ranked number one in the world in the 60 metres this year after posting a personal best of 6.47 seconds in the semi-finals of the Sainsbury's Indoor Grand Prix in Birmingham on Saturday, but he suffered a minor tear to his hamstring while winning the final and has not been named in the 35-strong team for Sopot.
Dasaolu, who won a silver medal at the European Indoors last year, will resume training shortly in preparation for the outdoor season.
He said: "Unfortunately it will keep me out of competing at the World Indoors.
"I am disappointed but this is going to be a big year and I don't want to take any risk at all. I will now concentrate on being 100 per cent fit for the outdoor competitions."
There was also disappointment for Katarina Johnson-Thompson, who missed the pentathlon qualifying event through illness but had hoped to be given an invitation by the IAAF.
That was not forthcoming, so she will instead compete in the long jump, in which she set a new personal best of 6.75 metres at the national indoor championships.
Medal prospects
Laura Muir will be Britain's main hope for a gold medal as the top-ranked woman in the 800m this year, while pole vaulters Holly Bleasdale and Luke Cutts are both second.
Asha Philip is also ranked world No 2 in the 60m and will be joined by 19-year-old Sophie Papps, who makes her senior debut for Britain.
In the absence of Dasaolu, former world indoor champion Dwain Chambers and Richard Kilty will compete in the men's 60m.
British Athletics performance director Neil Black said: "This is a relatively young team with a number of new faces taking individual places, which is encouraging as we focus on long-term development towards 2016 and 2017.
"Where there were any close decisions, we have prioritised the Sainsbury's British Athletics Championships results, and it is good to see athletes and their coaches who have made significant breakthroughs in the last year are maintaining those results."