World champ Formanova limps out

World champion Ludmila Formanova pulled up injured in her Olympic 800 metres heat on Friday and is out of the Sydney Games.

The Czech dropped out with 200 metres remaining of the third heat of the day. She said it was an aggravation of an old injury.

"I have had a long-term problem with my foot. I had a bad pain in my left ankle which swelled during the flight to Sydney," she said.

"I wanted to break the physical pain barrier because I have been preparing for the Olympics all season.

"Running faster makes the pain worse."

She said she would now probably require surgery.

Formanova, also the indoor world champion, beat off Maria Mutola of Mozambique to win the world title in Seville last year.

Austrian Stephanie Graf was the fastest qualifier with 1:58.39 while Mutola easily won her heat, the first race of the Games, in 1:59.88.

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