Saturday, February 27, 2010

No XC Worlds for Ritz

"I regret to announce that I am withdrawing from the IAAF World Cross Country Championships. I am very disappointed not to be able to lead the team that will be going to Poland to compete for Team USA. I have had a series of setbacks this winter that have held me back from training at 100%. A nagging injury as well as a stomach virus have caused me to miss training over the past couple weeks and I have not been able get to the level of training that is required for me to be at my best. To reach the goals I have set out for the year, I need to be completely healthy and ready to train as hard and smart as possible.. After talking with my coach Alberto Salazar we decided that it was more important for me to refocus my goals of having another successful track season and most importantly, preparing for a return to the marathon in the fall. I love cross country and I was very excited to represent my country; however this is the right decision for me to have a successful year and continue my development to the highest level possible. We decided it was not worth the risk for me to continue to train through these problems at the expense of being fully prepared for the summer and fall. This was a very difficult decision for me but I look forward to being back 100% and ready to go again soon."

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