Mo Farah of Britain holds his national flag as he celebrates winning the men's 5,000 metres final during the IAAF World Athletics Championships at the Luzhniki stadium in Moscow August 16, 2013.DOMINIC EBENBICHLER/Reuters
Double Olympic gold medalist Mo Farah has pulled out of the Commonwealth Games because he has not recovered fully from a recent stomach ailment.
Team England said Thursday, on the opening day of the games, that Farah, who had planned to run the 5,000 and 10,000 metres — the same distances he won gold at during the London Games in 2012 — would remain at his training base in France.
The team said Farah had made good progress on his recovery from his illness but had withdrawn to focus on getting back to full fitness for next month's European Championships in Zurich.
Farah was one of the big draw cards for the athletics program which begins on the weekend. The 5,000-meter final takes place on the first evening of the athletics program on Sunday.
"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.
"Ipreally 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 pulled out of his past two races — the Glasgow Grand Prix and last weekend's Anniversary Games in London — after being admitted to hospital in the United States with abdominal pains.
Usain Bolt, the other major attraction for the Glasgow games, plans to run for Jamaica in a relay on Aug. 2.