Usain Bolt will miss his first scheduled meets this year on June 17 and July 5, saying he hasn’t had enough training after a foot injury in late March and early April.
“Thankfully my foot is 100% healthy now and I am back in full training,” read a statement on Bolt’s website. “Unfortunately due to the training that I missed I am behind where I am at normally at this time of year and will not be ready to race.”
The six-time Olympic champion is skipping meets in Ostrava, Czech Republic, on June 17 and Paris on July 5. His last race was against a bus in Buenos Aires on Dec. 14.
It was revealed in March that Bolt suffered a foot injury and went to Munich for treatment. Bolt called it a setback in April but said it was nothing serious.
His next scheduled meets are in Warsaw, Poland, on Aug. 23, and Zurich, Switzerland, on Aug. 28.
This will be the latest Bolt, 27, has gone before making his season debut in his senior international career. There are no Olympics or World Championships this year for the only time in the Olympic cycle.
“I hope to be back in competition soon but how soon will depend on my training in the next few weeks,” Bolt said in his website statement. “It is important for me to take my time this year as I have three tough years ahead in 2015, 2016 and 2017 as I attempt to defend my World and Olympic titles. I definitely plan to compete this season.”
The fastest man in Bolt’s absence this year, Justin Gatlin, will replace Bolt in the Ostrava meet, according to The Associated Press.