Associated Press - November 3, 2009 11:54 AM ET

FRANKFURT (AP) - German swimmer Britta Steffen has pulled out of the short-course season, saying she was not ready to compete.

The 2-time Olympic and world champion was scheduled to swim at a World Cup meet in Berlin on Nov. 14-15 and the European Championships in Istanbul in December.

Steffen says her preparations have not been up to her personal "high standards."

Steffen defeated American Dara Torres by one-hundredth of a second in the 50-meter freestyle at the Beijing Olympics.

Copyright 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.