Jamaica's Omar McLeod may miss the Commonwealth Games in the Gold Coast because it is too close to the IAAF World Indoor Championships ©Getty Images

Jamaica's Olympics 110 metres hurdles champion Omar McLeod may miss the Commonwealth Games in the Gold Coast because he claims that the event is too close to the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) World indoor Championships.

The World Indoor Championships are due to take place in Birmingham in the United Kingdom between March 1 and 4 the Commonwealth Games are scheduled to be held April 4 to 15.

The shorter 60m hurdles is competed indoors and that is the event McLeod's coach Edrick Floréal wants him to concentrate on this winter. 

"Coach said it’s probably too close to the World Indoors," McLeod told Reuters.

"So we’re fearful that we won’t have enough time to unwind and get enough quality base work to take on the outdoor season, so it’s his call."

The 23-year-old won the 60m hurdles at the last year IAAF World Indoor Championships in Portland two years ago.

He also won the 110m hurdles at the IAAF World Championships in London last year. 

That performance helped him be voted Jamaica's Sportsman of the Year at a special ceremony in Kingston last night.

McLeod revealed that his targets this year also include breaking the world records for the 60m hurdles and 110m hurdles.

Jamaica's Omar McLeod added the IAAF World Championships 110 metres hurdles title to his Olympic gold medal in London last year but looks unlikely to compete in the Commonwealth Games ©Getty Images
Jamaica's Omar McLeod added the IAAF World Championships 110 metres hurdles title to his Olympic gold medal in London last year but looks unlikely to compete in the Commonwealth Games ©Getty Images

The 60m hurdles mark is currently held by Britain’s Colin Jackson at 7.30sec, which has stood since 1994, and American Aries Merritt set the 110m hurdles mark of 12.80 in 2012.

"In terms of time, 7.25 seconds [for the 60m hurdles], I‘m throwing that out there and 12.75 [for the 110m]," McLeod, whose personal bests are 7.41 and 12.90, told Reuters.

“I‘m expecting to go really fast [at the World indoors], I’ve opened my season with 7.53 seconds.

"I’ve never opened that fast before and I’ve never opened my season this early in the year.

"I‘m feeling good. I‘m in the best shape of my life."

If McLeod does not compete, it would be another blow for Gold Coast 2018 organisers.

Another Jamaican, Usain Bolt, will already be missing following his retirement last year. 

Also set to be absent is South Africa's Wayde van Niekerk, winner of the 400m at Rio 2016, because of injury and England's four-time Olympic gold medallist Mo Farah because he is now concentrating on the marathon.

Last week it was also announced that Singapore's Olympic 100m butterfly champion Joseph Schooling will miss Gold Coast 2018 to concentrate on preparing instead for this year's Asian Games in Jakarta and Palembang.