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Michael Phelps pulled out of the morning heats of the 100 metres freestyle at the US Nationals complaining of a sore neck.

The withdrawal means Phelps, winner of a record eight gold medals at the Beijing Olympics, will race in just three individual events later this month at the world championships in Rome.

Phelps said he had woken up with a stiff neck on Thursday morning but ignored the pain and went out later that evening to set a world record in the 100 metres butterfly.

The stiffness, however, grew worse overnight and doctors advised the 24-year-old American not to swim the 100 free.

"It wasn't fun yesterday swimming the 100 fly," Phelps said. "I got up yesterday and had some work done on it, had more work after prelims, before finals, after finals and before I went to bed last night.

"I came in this morning, had some heat put on it, hopped into the water and I could literally hardly move my neck to breath.

"We decided it was probably better we not risk anything for the next two weeks and take the precautionary route and scratch this morning's race.

"It's better not to risk anything long term."

The withdrawal made no impact on Phelps' world championship programme, which coach Bob Bowman said was never going to include the 100 metres free because the schedule conflicted with the 200 butterfly.

Phelps will swim the 200 freestyle, 100 and 200 butterfly in Rome. The 14-time Olympic gold medallist is also expected to be part of US relay teams.

"Quite frankly Michael was not going to swim the 100 individual in Rome because it conflicts with the 200 metres fly and his butterfly is doing so well so he is definitely going to swim that," said Bob Bowman, Phelps's long-time coach.

"Anyone who is on the team can be a member of the relays and we'll put the best relay up we can put up."

Phelps has rarely been forced to pull out of an event because of injury although it has twice happened in Indianapolis.

He withdrew from races at the 2004 world short course championships with a sore back and prior to that pulled out of events at a grand prix meeting because of food poisoning.

The injury is not expected to have any major affect on Phelps's training and Bowman said the swimmer would ease back into the pool almost immediately.

"He'll go easy today," said Bowman. "We'll try to get in tomorrow and loosen up and see how it goes and hopefully it will work itself out."

Reuters