Olympic and world 400 meters champion Wayde Van Niekerk has withdrawn from the men’s 400meters at the Zurich Diamond League meeting in Switzerland next week.

The South African world record holder over the one lap event withdrew because of a recurring back injury which he said flared up again this week when he returned to training.

The 25 year old has had to manage the niggle throughout the season, overcoming the setback to retain his one-lap crown and take the 200metres silver medal at the IAAF World Championships in London, England last week.

He said that after consultation with Coach Ans Botha, it was decided to avoid the risk of competing again at this late stage of the season, as a precaution in the build-up to the commonwealth games in Gold Coast, Australia in April next year 2018.

Said Neikerk “I am bitterly disappointed I won’t be competing in the last diamond league event of the season as I haven’t won a Diamond League final before and was hoping to get my hands on one of the fiercely contested diamond trophies, but we feel it is in my best interest to recover fully, in order to ensure i can take on the 2018 season in good health and at full strength.”