Asafa Powell withdrew Tuesday from the Gaz de France meet because of a groin cramp, not wanting to take any risks with the Olympics less than a month away.

Powell’s agent, Paul Doyle, told The Associated Press that the former 100-meter word record holder would run in the Super Grand Prix in Stockholm on July 22.

“The injury is not bad,” Doyle said. “It just made him realize that he has to get back into training a little bit. He wants to put in a full week of training. He’s been able to train fully. But to do Paris would interrupt training too much.”

Powell held the 100 record of 9.74 seconds until May 31, when Usain Bolt ran 9.72 at the Reebok Grand Prix in New York. Tyson Gay won the U.S. trials in 9.68, but he had a tailwind too strong for it to be considered a record.

“I think having company now in that 9.7 range actually takes pressure off of him (Powell),” Doyle said. “Everyone has been expecting him to break the world record every time out and win every race.

“He’s training hard and fully expects to get his world record back at some stage. I think it’s exciting for the sport these guys to be racing each other and put up these fast times.”

Powell finished third in the 100 at the 2007 World Championships in Osaka, Japan, behind Gay and Derrick Atkins.