Czech no-go for Johnson

Michael Johnson's farewell to the fans is interrupted

Michael Johnson has pulled out of a meeting in the Czech Republic for family reasons.

The five-times Olympic champion left the country after hearing news of his mother.

Johnson, 33, was scheduled to run on Thursday in a 4x400m relay in Ostrava, 350km east of Prague.

"I am terribly sorry," said Johnson in a statement.

"I was looking forward to the start of the meet very much, but I strongly hope you will understand that I had to travel home as quickly as possible, so I can be near my mother at these very difficult moments."

The statement did not elaborate.

Johnson, the 200m and 400m world record holder and nine-times world champion, is on a worldwide farewell tour - running only relay events.