Melbourne:
Australian world indoor long jump champion Fabrice Lapierre may soon become another top athlete to give the October 3-14 Commonwealth Games a miss.
The 26-year-old Lapierre is still in two minds whether to tour India in October as it is his lay-off time and also news of the security situation and infrastructure problems plaguing the Delhi Games is making things worse for him.
"It's a bit of everything. I hear a lot about the security and in October that is normally my lay-off time so I sort of don't want to really jump in October as well. It's everything rolled into one really," was quoted as saying in the Australian Associated Press.
Lapierre feels he won't be at his best to compete against the likes of South African Olympic silver medallist Godfrey Khotso Mokoena and compatriot Australian Mitchell Watt at the end of a grueling Diamond League circuit.
"It is in October which is a really bad time of the year for me and I am tempted to pull out because I don't know how well I will be jumping in October," he said after finising sixth in the Diamond League meet in London.
"I probably won't be jumping that well or at my best and my main competition, they have not really jumped yet and I think they are trying to peak for these Commonwealth Games.
"I am not going to be in peak condition and obviously that is going to be a factor," he added.
Lapierre, who is placed third in the 2010 world rankings, said he is still wrestling with the decision because on one hand it is also an honour to represent Australia as one of the favourites for the Games.
"I don't want to go to Delhi but I want to jump, so we will see what happens," he said.
"It is a bit of honour and I can't really pull out because I am one of the favourites. Hopefully, I can keep my form and jump alright," he added.
Some of the top athletes to pull out of the Commonwealth Games, include triple Olympic champion sprinter Usian Bolt, tennis player Samantha Stosur, reigning world and European heptathlon champion Ennis, World-class Canadian 100m hurdlers Priscilla Lopes-Schliep and Perdita Felicien.
Besides, Australian tennis star Lleyton Hewitt, Scotsman Chris Hoy, a multiple Olympic gold medalist in cycling and Shelly Ann Fraser, the Olympic 100 metres champion have also decided to skip the Delhi Games.
The 26-year-old Lapierre is still in two minds whether to tour India in October as it is his lay-off time and also news of the security situation and infrastructure problems plaguing the Delhi Games is making things worse for him.
"It's a bit of everything. I hear a lot about the security and in October that is normally my lay-off time so I sort of don't want to really jump in October as well. It's everything rolled into one really," was quoted as saying in the Australian Associated Press.
Lapierre feels he won't be at his best to compete against the likes of South African Olympic silver medallist Godfrey Khotso Mokoena and compatriot Australian Mitchell Watt at the end of a grueling Diamond League circuit.
"It is in October which is a really bad time of the year for me and I am tempted to pull out because I don't know how well I will be jumping in October," he said after finising sixth in the Diamond League meet in London.
"I probably won't be jumping that well or at my best and my main competition, they have not really jumped yet and I think they are trying to peak for these Commonwealth Games.
"I am not going to be in peak condition and obviously that is going to be a factor," he added.
Lapierre, who is placed third in the 2010 world rankings, said he is still wrestling with the decision because on one hand it is also an honour to represent Australia as one of the favourites for the Games.
"I don't want to go to Delhi but I want to jump, so we will see what happens," he said.
"It is a bit of honour and I can't really pull out because I am one of the favourites. Hopefully, I can keep my form and jump alright," he added.
Some of the top athletes to pull out of the Commonwealth Games, include triple Olympic champion sprinter Usian Bolt, tennis player Samantha Stosur, reigning world and European heptathlon champion Ennis, World-class Canadian 100m hurdlers Priscilla Lopes-Schliep and Perdita Felicien.
Besides, Australian tennis star Lleyton Hewitt, Scotsman Chris Hoy, a multiple Olympic gold medalist in cycling and Shelly Ann Fraser, the Olympic 100 metres champion have also decided to skip the Delhi Games.
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