David Davies pulls out of World Championships

British swimmer David Davies today withdrew from the World Championships in Shanghai due to form and fitness.

Davies has endured a difficult period after winning Olympic silver in the 10kilometre open water event at Beijing in 2008. Training has left him fatigued and he performed poorly at the European Open Water Swimming Championships in Israel in May.

He had, though, already qualified for next month's world finals in China, after winning the 1500m freestyle trials in Manchester last March.

However, he will not take that place after being advised to take a six-week break to help him recover so that he's prepared for London 2012.

He said: "It has been a relapse of what I struggled with last year. I pushed myself hard to try to get to the Europeans and Commonwealths but hadn't properly got out of the fatigue."

British Swimming head coach Dennis Pursley said: "David needs a break. His single focus is on getting ready for the Olympics."