Injured Oliver to miss U.S. championships, worlds

EUGENE, Oregon (Reuters) - Olympic 110 metres hurdles bronze medallist David Oliver has withdrawn from this week's U.S. athletics championships due to injury and will subsequently miss the world championships in August.

"A strained left calf injury I suffered last week in training has forced me to withdraw," Oliver, the early U.S. favourite, said on his blog (here).

Oliver's withdrawal rules him out of the U.S. world team, since only the top three finishers in each event at the U.S. championships plus defending world champions qualify.

Oliver said the injury had responded well to treatment, "but neither (coach Brooks Johnson) nor myself felt comfortable going out there and gambling on causing further damage."

(Reporting by Gene Cherry. To query or comment on this story email sportsfeedback@thomsonreuters.com)