Woods joins Weir in Delhi decision

Paul Carter

Wheelchair athlete Shelly Woods has become the latest track and field athlete to withdraw from the Commonwealth Games.

Paralympic silver medalist Woods has made the decision not to compete at the four-yearly event taking place in Delhi this October, instead opting to focus her attention on January's International Paralympic Committee (IPC) World Championships.

Woods said that although the decision was a difficult one, it was "a question of prioritising".

She said: "I have done all the qualifying times for the World Championships and I would rather be training for them because they are more important.

"I would love to go to the Commonwealth Games but they come at the wrong time for my schedule.

"I have qualified for the 1500m, the 5000m and the marathon in the World Championships. I have also qualified for the 800 metres but I doubt I will compete in that."

Several other athletes are due to face a similar decision in the coming weeks, as the Commonwealth Games fall in the middle of what athletes refer to as "heavy training," making it difficult to compete in both events.

Woods joins double Paralympic champion David Weir in not making the trip to India. Weir announced he would not be competing last month after voicing safety concerns following recent terrorist attacks.

"I've got a family to think about and I genuinely don't feel safe going to Delhi and not even a small part of me thinks it's a good idea to be there," he said.

"I'm sure when the Games are on in October, I'll be gutted to miss the racing. But there was another bomb scare there for the cricketers the other day and I just don't fancy that."

As well as training for the World Championships, Woods will now also set her focus on the upcoming New York Marathon and the Great North Run.

Woods has come second three times in the New York 26-miler, and is determined to go one better in 2010.

"I have always said I want to win the New York Marathon and I have not managed it yet. Last year I missed the Great North Run, one of my favourites, because I was in the Berlin Marathon and I wasn't pleased when someone took my course record!"