5000m contender Niyonsaba out of world champs with injury

By GERALD IMRAY
AP Sports Writer

Francine Niyonsaba has withdrawn from the world championships with a foot injury. The injury comes just as she looked to be a good bet for her first major medal in the 5,000 meters after being forced to switch to long-distance events by contentious testosterone rules. Niyonsaba says on Instagram she is almost fully recovered but has missed too much training. She says she is “extremely sorry” to withdraw. Niyonsaba is a former Olympic silver medalist in the 800 meters but was barred from that event by World Athletics regulations governing athletes with intersex conditions known as 46,XY differences in sex development. They are the same rules affecting Caster Semenya.