Spain’s Rafael Nadal, who was set to be the flag bearer for his country during the opening ceremony at the Olympics, has pulled out of the London Games.
“I am not in condition to compete in the London Olympics and therefore will not travel as planned with the Spanish delegation to take part in the games,” the tennis player said today in a statement.
Nadal, who has experienced ongoing knee problems, did not mention a specific injury in the statement.
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“I have to think about my companions. I can’t be selfish and I have to think of what’s best for Spanish sport, especially tennis and Spanish players and give fellow sportsmen with better preparation the chance to compete,” he said.
“I tried to hurry my preparations and training to the very last minute, but it was not to be,” he added.
Nadal, who won the singles tournament at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, said this “is one of the saddest days of my career as one of my biggest ambitions, that of being Spain’s flag bearer in the opening ceremony of the games in London, cannot be. You can imagine how difficult it was to take this decision.”
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