Injured Bolt to skip Jamaica meeting

KINGSTON - Six-time Olympic gold medalist Usain Bolt has been ruled out of Saturday's (Sunday, PHL time) Jamaica International Invitational meeting because of a slight hamstring strain, his agent said on Tuesday (Wednesday, PHL time).

The 100 and 200 meters world record holder felt tightness in training over the weekend and in consultation with Coach Glen Mills decided not to risk anything at this early stage of the season, agent Ricky Simms told Reuters.

"It's a small strain and he's hoping to be OK for next week but you know it's day by day ... maybe for the two or three days. It just a problem of sprinting," Simms said in a telephone interview.

Asked if the injury was serious, Simms replied: "No. He hopes to be running in Cayman by next week, so it's what you call a grade one strain, which is you can't sprint, but you can walk OK. He's not limping or anything."

Bolt was scheduled to run his first 200 meters of the season against Jamaican Olympic bronze medalist Warren Weir and American Wallace Spearmon in the meeting.

His next scheduled race is a 100 meters in the May 8 Cayman Islands meeting.

"I am disappointed to miss the Kingston meet as I love running in front of my home crowd in Jamaica," Bolt said in a statement. "I'm told it is only a grade one strain so hopefully I will be OK soon."

Bolt started his season in style on March 31 on Rio de Janeiro's Copacabana Beach with a 14.42 seconds clocking over 150 meters on the purpose-built track. - Reuters