Athletics: Rawlinson to miss Helsinki

Rawlinson, although he has not achieved the Helsinki qualifying standard this year, was expected to be included, having beaten it last summer. But the Commonwealth champion, who finished last in a 400m flat race in Loughborough yesterday, has decided not to run in what would have been his fourth championships.

The 33-year-old has made the final on two occasions, his highest placing coming when he finished fifth in Edmonton four years ago.

A spokeswoman for UK athletics said that Rawlinson had made his decision after a horrendous last three months suffering with illness and injury.

Rawlinson had a virus in April, a hernia operation in May, and then a foot injury last month. These setbacks forced him to take the tough decision to pull out of Helsinki, although he will run at the Norwich Union London Grand Prix on Friday and intends defending his Commonwealth title in Melbourne next March.