Shorter Withdraws From L.A. Marathon

Frank Shorter, the 1972 Olympic gold medalist in the marathon, has withdrawn from Sunday’s Los Angeles Marathon. Shorter said in a telephone interview Wednesday that he sprained his ankle during a training run last Sunday.

“I called the marathon organizers (in Los Angeles) on Monday,” Shorter said. “I knew when I couldn’t walk down a flight of stairs.”

Shorter said he will appear at a press conference here today and may run part of the race for fun.