Jake Wightman will miss out on the defence of his 1500 metre world title in Budapest this summer.
The Briton was a shock world champion at the distance in Eugene a year ago, beating favourite Jakob Ingebrigtsen and clocking a personal best in the process. But the 28-year-old suffered a foot injury while at a training camp in South Africa at the start of this year.
Of the injury, he told the Daily Mail: “It was just an accident.
“I was doing these hurdle hops and I bailed on one. In doing so, I put one foot out to stop myself and all my weight went on it and I just rolled it.”
He has struggled to recover from the injury and has yet to compete outdoors this season, with the decision now believed to have been taken to miss the worlds in August.
Wightman’s decision to withdraw is believed to be with a view to the Paris Olympics, where he will be among the medal contenders if fully fit.
His absence is a major blow to the British athletes set to travel out to Hungary. He was the sole gold medallist for the team last year at the event in the United States.
His father, Geoff, famously commentated inside the stadium in Eugene on Wightman’s victory.
Wightman will miss this weekend’s National Championships, which begin in Manchester on Saturday with a host of athletes bidding for selection for the team for Budapest.
