Sotherton pulls out of Glasgow international

Posted: Tuesday 27th January 2009 | 13:35

FORMER Olympic bronze medallist Kelly Sotherton has withdrawn from this Saturday's Aviva International match, citing a sore back.

Sotherton pulls out of Glasgow international with back injury
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The event in Glasgow is the first major international meet of the indoor season for Team GB - who have recently been put through their paces at a three-week training camp in Potchefsstroom, South Africa.

Heptathlete Sotherton was due to compete in the long jump and had a guest lane in the 60m hurdles, but believes it safer to rest her back with the European Indoor Championships on the horizon.

"It's not wise to compete in Glasgow. It would be too much of a risk. So I've decided to withdraw as a precaution," she said.

Sotherton was plagued with injuries, including a back problem, between the World Championships in 2007 and the 2008 Olympics.

But she recovered in time to compete in Beijing where she eventually came fourth, following Lyudmyla Blonska's disqualification, having tested positive for the illegal substance methyltestosterone.

Sotherton won silver at the European Indoor Championships, two years ago in Birmingham, behind Sweden's Olympic champion Carolina Kluft and will be bidding to repeat the trick in Turin on March 6.