LONDON (AP):

Britain's sports minister offered yesterday to try and help resolve the tax issues that have caused Olympic champion Usain Bolt to withdraw from next month's Crystal Palace Diamond League meeting.

Bolt announced on Monday he would not be competing at the August 13-14 event because his earnings in London would be greatly diminish after taxes.

"I will see what I can do," Sports Minister Hugh Robertson told the BBC. "Three weeks doesn't give us awhole lot of time to organise a tax concession."

The British finance ministry has already exempted visiting football players from local tax laws to ensure the Champions League final can be staged at Wembley Stadium next year.