Injured Thomas pulls out of Commonwealth Games
Saturday March 4, 2006

LONDON - Veteran quarter miler Iwan Thomas has withdrawn from the Commonwealth Games after picking up a muscle injury in training.

The 32-year-old Thomas, was listed to compete in both the individual 400 metres and 4x400m relay for Wales in Melbourne later this month, but decided to pull out of the Games to do himself justice.

"It has been one of the toughest decisions of my career," Thomas told BBC Sport on Saturday. "But for the last six or seven years, I’ve run half fit or been injured, and I’ve really under-achieved.

"I've been in fantastic shape but two weeks ago I picked up a hamstring injury – and I’m fed up with putting myself on the line when I’m not 100%."

Thomas holds the British record at 44.36 seconds, but  has suffered a succession of injuries since claiming the European and Commonwealth titles in 1998 and he said the injury was a big blow to his season, especially after a successful winter of training.

"I’ve trained so hard this year but I feel to go out there not feeling 100%, I won’t run as quickly as I could have done," he said.

"It is tough because it is fantastic to run for Wales and it’ll be my last ever Commonwealth Games. I’d love to go out there and help the team but I don’t feel I’d do myself justice.

"The honest truth is that I have been in fantastic shape – I really kept my head down this year because I wanted to go to the Commonwealth Games and show a lot of people what shape I was in.

"So I’d rather wait for the AAAs or the European Championships later this summer and only come and out and put myself on the line when I can do myself proud."

Thomas, who switched back to former Mike Smith last year after recording a series of Celebrity Wrestling programmes with ITV admits Smith would have preferred him to travel Down Under but respected his decision to pull from the Games.

"Myself and Mike have worked so hard this year, and to be perfectly honest, Mike would rather that I went out there," Thomas revealed. "But he respects me - and I explained that it's my name, I'm the person I've got to live with if I don't run well. I'd rather wait until I can do justice to myself.

"I hope people can respect my choice for not going - I just want to be the best I can be again."

Lindell Thorpe - World-Track Sports Media