Dalilah Muhammad OUT of 2022 USA Outdoor Championships with hamstring injury

EUGENE, Oregon (June 23) — Reigning world 400m hurdles champion Dalilah Muhammad has been forced to withdraw from the USA Outdoor Championships this week due to a hamstring injury.

Muhammad, who has run sparingly this season, was hoping to get her championships campaign up and running in Oregon ahead of defending her world championships later next month.

However, the 32-year-old will miss the USA Track and Field Outdoor Championships with a muscle injury. Read more: Women’s 400m hurdles start list: 2022 Toyota USATF Outdoor Championships

As the winner of the women’s 400m hurdles at the last World Athletics Championships in Doha in 2019, Muhammad is not required to race in the event at the US Trials, but USATF mandates that all wild card athletes must still participate in some sort at the national championships.

Nevertheless, the Olympic silver medalist from Tokyo last summer has been offered grace as she received a waiver from USATF to confirm her bye into the 2022 World Athletics Championships next month in Oregon.

Muhammad, who won gold in the women’s 400m hurdles at the Rio Games in 2016, returned last summer to secure a silver medal behind compatriot Sydney McLaughlin, who set a new world record on her way to the gold in Tokyo.

Her silver medal performance of 51.58 is the second-fastest time in the history of the event.

So far this season, Muhammad has raced twice in the discipline with her last outing coming on 21 May.

The heats of the women’s 400m hurdles at the 2022 USA Outdoor Championships is slated for Thursday at 7:50 pm ET.

McLaughlin, who finished second behind Muhammad at the last world championships, enters the US Trials as the world leader this year with a time of 51.61 seconds.

McLaughlin also owns three of the top four fastest times ever clocked in the event.