World 400 meters hurdles champion Jana Pittman-Rawlinson has withdrawn from next month's world championships in Berlin due to a lingering back injury, Atheltics Australia said on Sunday.

It will be the second major competition Pittman-Rawlinson missed because of injury. She was sidelined for a year due to complications from a toe injury that forced her out of the Beijing Olympics.

The 26-year-old pulled up with hamstring soreness after last week's meet in Lucerne and the problem was diagnosed as being caused by a bulging disc in her back.

The world athletics championships run from Aug. 15-23.

(Xinhua News Agency July 26, 2009)