Britain's Pickering withdraws from bobsled competition

KRASNAYA POLYANA, Russia -- Britain's Craig Pickering has withdrawn from the bobsled competition at the Sochi Olympics with a back injury.

Pickering, who also on Britain's track team in the 2008 Beijing Games, injured his back on Feb. 2 while training in Germany. Pickering was also forced to miss the London Olympics with a back injury and said he's ''devastated to have suffered a similar fate'' in the days leading up to the Winter Games.

Coach Gary Anderson said the loss of Pickering, a push athlete for Great Britain-2, was a ''big blow and I am personally devastated.''

Anderson said the team is still deciding which athletes to have in its sleds for the two- and four-man competitions.