British team captain Dai Greene pulled out of his heat of the 400metre hurdles just moments before the start of the European Championships in Berlin.
Greene has been blighted by five years of injury woes – a litany of hamstring and groin problems – but looked to have finally won his fitness battle to compete in the venue where Usain Bolt clocked his two sprint world records eight years ago.
But the 32-year former world champion suffered a further hamstring setback on the warm-up track just beside the Olympiastadion on Monday afternooon and pulled out of his heat as a result with immediate effect.
Greene, also an ex-European and Commonwealth champion, had looked unlikely to battle for the medals in the event but was hopeful of reaching the final after years of heartache on and off the track.
British Athletics said in a statement: “Great Britan and Northern Ireland team captain Dai Greene has sadly been forced to withdraw from today’s qualifying round of the men’s 400m hurdles after his hamstring tightened during warm-up causing him difficulty hurdling.”
Greene, who last night delivered his captain’s speech to the British team competing at the Europeans, was spotted on the cameras inside the stadium, holding the muscle and limping away.
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