Athletics: McColgan to miss London: Marathon misery for Scot

LIZ McCOLGAN'S ailing career suffered another setback yeserday when she announced she has had to pull out of April's NutraSweet London Marathon because of lack of race fitness.

McColgan, whose fortunes have spiralled dramatically since her 1991 World Championship triumph, has also had to give next month's World Cross-Country Championships in Budapest a miss following the knee problem which ruined her 1993 season.

McColgan, who is training in Gainsville, Florida, said yesterday: 'After last year's injury problems, it's been great to get back into full training, but time is against me.

'I'm obviously disappointed at missing the race but, at the moment, I can't do myself or the race justice. I'll continue training, and concentrate on getting ready to run the 10,000m at the European Championships and Commonwealth Games.'

McColgan's absence from the marathon on 17 April is a considerable disappointment for the London organisers, who last year awarded her a pounds 500,000-plus, three-year contract.

To fulfill her side of the bargain, McColgan, who finished third in last year's race, will now have to run in both the 1995 and 1996 events - but if she has to run in spring 1996, it could affect her preparations to run the Olympic marathon in Atlanta later in the summer.

Organisers of the Lieven indoor meeting in France want Linford Christie to take on Namibia's Frankie Fredericks over 200m at this Sunday's event.