Olympic champion Mo Farah pulls out of Commonwealth Games

Double Olympic champion athlete Mo Farah of England withdrew from the Commonwealth Games Thursday to get back to fitness for next month's European Championships in Zurich.

The 31-year-old was to participate in the 5,000 metres and 10,000 metres events here.

According to Daily Mail, the England team said that the Olympic and World champion had made progress on his recovery from a recent illness. But in order to be completely fit for the European Championships, he decided to pull out of the Games.

"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 was quoted as saying by the British tabloid.

The Somalia-born athlete had also pulled out the Sainsbury's Glasgow Grand Prix at Hampden Park and last Sunday's Anniversary Games after being admitted to hospital in the US with abdominal pains.

He was one of the biggest names to participate in Glasgow's athletics competition alongside Jamaica's star sprinter Usain Bolt.