David Rudisha out World Championships team

An injury has knocked out Olympic and World 800m champion David Rudisha from the World Championships starting Friday in London.

Middle distance coach Benard Ouma disclosed that Rudisha, who was set to chase a hat trick of world titles, developed a duadruceps injury on Saturday in training and efforts to have him heal for the championships has proved futile.

Ouma said Rudisha had the option of running with his right thigh tapped but doctors said that it could prolong the healing hence he decided to pullout.

“There is nothing we can do and all we can do is wish him quick recovery,” said Ouma.

The withdrawal is a blow to Rudisha, who will not be back at the arena where he broke his own World Record, when he won the 2012 London Olympics 800m title in 1 minute and 40.01 seconds.

"Its sad and disappointing to announce my no show in the forthcoming #london2017 WC due to a quad muscle strain," the 28-year-old tweeted on Monday.

Rudisha, who won the 2011 Daegu and 2015 Beijing World 800m titles, retained his Olympic title during the 2016 Rio Summer Games.

Rudisha is the second World champion from Kenya to withdraw for the London event after World 400m hurdles champion Nicholas Bett early this week.

There will be no replacement for Rudisha in the team as entries closed last week Monday.

The 800m team now remains with World trials winner Emmanuel Korir, World Under-20 champion Kipyegon Bett and 2016 Diamond League Series winner Ferguson Rotich.

The trio are part of the first batch of Team Kenya athletes who depart the country for London on Tuesday.