Athletics: Holmes to miss London Grand Prix and world title chance

The 35-year-old double Olympic champion has always appeared ambivalent about taking on the challenge of the global championships, which start in Helsinki on 6 August, and admitted after missing the trials the weekend before last that competing in Finland was looking "less and less likely".

Holmes, who remains determined to make a farewell appearance on British soil at the Norwich Union British Grand Prix in Sheffield on 21 August, has already said that the Commonwealth Games in Melbourne eight months from now will be the last event she considers running before retirement.

Holmes, who has barely trained since winning a 1500m in Glasgow on 5 June, was due to run the 1,000m tomorrow but has been unable to regain sufficient fitness despite treatment at her Valencia training venue.

"In the past week I have done everything I can to get over my Achilles problem," she said yesterday shortly after arriving back in England. "But last night's training session proved to me that I just can't race on it. I am bitterly disappointed because I was desperate to run in my home meeting."

Olympic 4x100m relay gold medallist Mark Lewis-Francis has also withdrawn from the London meeting with a hamstring problem.