BADDELEY FORCED TO WITHDRAW FROM NEW BALANCE GAMES MILE

BADDELEY FORCED TO WITHDRAW FROM NEW BALANCE GAMES MILE
By David Monti
(c) 2009 Race Results Weekly, all rights reserved. Used with permission.

NEW YORK (22-Jan) -- The fastest miler in the world last year, Great Britain's Andrew Baddeley, was forced to withdraw from Saturday's New Balance Games elite mile, his coach and manager Nic Bideau reported to Race Results Weekly yesterday.

"He slipped on the ice in training on Tuesday and has a slight calf tear," Bideau wrote in a text message. Bideau stressed that Baddeley had not fallen, but rather just slipped on the track in Windsor, London. "Not serious," he continued. "Just a slight strain. He should be fine in a week."

Baddeley will instead fly directly to Australia for continued training and competitions in the Down Under outdoor season.

At last year's New Balance Games, Baddeley got a narrow victory over New Zealander Adrian Blincoe off the back of a 26.7-second final 200m. He clocked 3:59.29 to Blincoe's 3:59.98.

"You never know," Baddeley told Race Results Weekly after last year's race. "Last lap I felt really good. I realized that I had another gear."

While losing Baddeley is an unlucky blow for the meet, organizer Ian Brooks still has a very solid field. Blincoe will be back, challenged by Britons James Thie, Neil Speaight, and Tim Bayley; Americans Rob Myers and John Richardson; New Zealander Max Smith; Haitian Moise Joseph, Canadian Kyle Boorsma, Ethiopian Abiyot Endale and Kenyan Samuel Ng'etich.

The meet will also have invitational miles for high school girls and boys, but the elite women's mile was cancelled by Brooks because too many of the women had to withdraw.

More details about the 13th New Balance Games are available at ArmoryTrack.com.


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