South African-born Zola Budd withdrew from Saturday’s...

South African-born Zola Budd withdrew from Saturday’s British national women’s cross-country championships to avoid a clash with anti-apartheid demonstrators.

Budd was forced off the course in last year’s event at Birkenhead and said she wanted to avoid a repetition this year at Leicester.

Budd, 19, now a British citizen, said that despite missing Saturday’s cross-country race, she still intended to defend her title in the world championships at Neuchatel, Switzerland, in March, an event for which she has been pre-selected.