Mo Farah
Farah was looking to add a Commonwealth double to his Olympic and world titles.

Double Olympic and world long distance champion Mo Farah has withdrawn from the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow due to illness.

The 31 year old was expected to compete in the 5,000m and 10,000m however has been unable to full recover from abdominal pains which forced him to pull out of the Diamond League meeting in Glasgow on the eve of the Games.

Farah will remain in his Fort Romeu training base in the hope of recovering in time for next month's European Championships in Zurich, where he defends his 5,000m and 10,000m titles.

"I have taken the tough decision to withdraw from the Commonwealth Games," said Farah.

"The sickness I had two weeks ago was a big setback for me. Training is getting better here in Font Romeu but I need another few weeks to get back to the level I was in 2012 and 2013.

"I really wanted to add the Commonwealth titles to my Olympic and World Championships but the event is coming a few weeks too soon for me as my body is telling me it's not ready to race yet. Best wishes to my fellow athletes in Glasgow."

Farah's plans to compete in Glasgow had intitally been surrounded in confusion, after he failed to confirm his attendance, before eventually returning to training after illness with the intent of appearing.

The British athlete had earlier this year collapsed after the New York half marathon in March, before he finished eighth in his debut marathon in London amid an uncertain 12 months.

Team England Chef de Mission Jan Paterson added: "It is a real blow for any athlete to miss out on a major championships through injury, but to have fought so hard to regain full fitness and to have to take such a difficult decision at this stage is particularly hard. We wish Mo all the very best and hope to see him back to his peak very soon."

The news is a huge blow to the Glasgow organisers, who have already seen a number of high-profile athletes pull out of the Games, including Jessica Ennis-Hill and Jamaican sprinter Yohan Blake.