The Commonwealth Games lost one more big star as competition began Thursday.
Mo Farah, the British 5000m and 10,000m Olympic and World champion, withdrew due to illness. He was scheduled to race the 5000m and 10,000m at Hampden Park in Glasgow next week.
“I have taken the tough decision to withdraw from the Commonwealth Games. The sickness I had two weeks ago was a big setback for me,” Farah said in a statement. “I really wanted to add the Commonwealth titles to my Olympic and World Championships, but the event is coming a few weeks too soon for me as my body is telling me it’s not ready to race yet.”
Farah’s absence adds to several other stars missing the Games, including Yohan Blake of Jamaica, Mark Cavendish of the Isle of Man and Katarina Johnson-Thompson of England.
Kenyan Olympic 800m champion David Rudisha and Jamaican sprinters Usain Bolt and Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce are the remaining headliners in track and field. Bolt and Fraser-Pryce may only compete in relays though.