Hamstring cause for Olympics withdrawal for Olsson

The 28-year-old Swede has had numerous problems in recent years.

ASSOCIATED PRESS

STOCKHOLM, Sweden — Olympic triple jump champion Christian Olsson pulled out of the Beijing Games because of a hamstring injury he sustained Tuesday night.

Olsson, also a former world champion, pulled a muscle in his fourth jump at the DN Galan meet at Olympic Stadium. He finished third with a jump of 55 feet, 91‚Ñ4 inches that he recorded in the second round.

Olsson told Swedish radio “there is no chance” of him competing in the Olympics.

“I will have to sit down and think about whether it’s even worth continuing my career,” he said.

The 28-year-old Swede has been injured often since winning the gold medal in Athens. Tuesday’s competition was his first after a long break.

He was sidelined 21 months after the 2004 Olympics because of a foot injury and had surgery four times.

Olsson came back in 2006 and won the gold medal at the European Championships in his hometown of Goteborg.

Early last year, he injured his thigh but appeared to be ready for another comeback at the world championships in Osaka, Japan. But he re-injured his thigh a few days before the championships and withdrew.

Marian Oprea of Romania won Tuesday’s triple jump in Stockholm with an effort of 56-71‚Ñ4. Dmitrij Valukevic of Slovakia was runner-up with 55-93‚Ñ4.

Gymnastics judge appeals ban

LAUSANNE, Switzerland — Rhythmic gymnastics judge Irina Deriugina will appeal the ban that would keep her from both the Beijing and London Olympics.

Deriugina will appear before the Court of Arbitration for Sport next Monday to appeal her punishment for breaching five points of the International Gymnastics Federation (FIG) code. She has been banned from judging until 2012.

FIG initially banned the Ukrainian for eight years for damaging the image of gymnastics, improperly influencing the result of a competition, and behaving in an offensive way toward gymnasts or officials.

She appealed that decision, and the FIG’s appeal tribunal decided earlier this month to cut the ban in half. However, that would still prevent her from judging at the Beijing and London Olympics. She is still allowed to coach at the games.