Coe: Holmes right to miss Helsinki
Sebastian Coe has backed Kelly Holmes’ decision to pull out of next month’s World Championships in Helsinki after losing her battle against a recurring Achilles injury.
The Olympic 800 and 1,500 metres gold medallist has withdrawn from the showpiece meeting of the year after failing a fitness test earlier this week.
Coe feels that was the right thing to do rather than risk tainting the memory of her Athens heroics with a sub-standard showing in Finland.
He told Radio Five Live: “I think she has made the right decision. You have to make that assessment when you have an injury and it is that close to a major championship.
“She has clearly tried to go through what would have been a tough test and made her own mind up that either the injury is just not responding or it doesn’t leave her with enough time to catch up on training she has lost.
“With what she did in 2004 in Athens, Kelly’s not really in need of going to a major championships without really believing that she is going to come back with medals and I think she has clearly reached that point.
“Her whole career has been a rollercoaster between injuries and I don’t want to see Kelly go out on a low note.”
