St. Kitts axes sprinter Kim Collins from Olympics for spending night with wife

London, August 5 (ANI): Caribbean sprinter Kim Collins has been sent home from the London Olympics by St Kitts and Nevis officials for staying in a hotel with his wife.

Dismayed at his treatment, Collins announced that he would never run for his country again.

Kim Collins was supposed to be making history on Saturday morning as the first person to compete in five Olympic Games for St Kitts and Nevis.

The former world champion sprinter was poised to line up next to British sprinter Dwain Chambers in a heat for the 100 metres.

But now the 36-year-old father of two is heading home, withdrawn from the competition by his team's officials as punishment for staying overnight in a hotel with his wife.

"I feel that I should stay in a hotel with my wife, with or without their permission, that's the honest to God truth, whether they like it or not. I should have that," The Telegraph quoted Collins, as saying.

"This is how it ends, it ends on a really sad note. I should have been allowed to run. I don't see what is the big deal, I am a grown man, I'm just about to become a grandfather," he added.

"I did not come to London to watch the Olympic 100m on TV. What am I supposed to do? I'm going home. I'm going to see my kids who I have not seen for a while. The race has gone now," he said.

Officials from St Kitts and Nevis said that the runner had breached team discipline rules by leaving the athletes' village without permission for more than one night.

However, critics, in particular those who took to the social networking website Twitter, said the punishment seemed particularly perverse as Collins' wife is also his coach. (ANI)