Great Britain’s Greg Rutherford, the 2012 Olympic and 2015 World champion in the long jump, will miss the world championships at London’s Olympic Stadium next month due to ankle ligament damage and a sports hernia.
“In the last few days I have had to accept an unfortunate reality,” was posted on Rutherford’s social media Tuesday. “I did everything I could, but a string of injuries at the worst possible time means I will be unable to defend my world title in London.”
Rutherford, 30, is the only man since Carl Lewis to win multiple Olympic long jump medals.
He followed up the London 2012 title as part of Super Saturday with a bronze in Rio behind American Jeff Henderson and South African Luvo Manyonga.
“I am truly gutted,” was posted on Rutherford’s social media. “That [London Olympic] stadium is such a special place for me, I am so devastated that I won’t be competing in front of the best fans in the world, in the stadium that changed my life.”
Rutherford long jumped in two meets this year and none since June 4, according to Tilastopaja.org. He ranks No. 25 in the world in 2017.
Manyonga is favored to win this year’s world title with the five best jumps in the world this year.
Henderson finished fifth at the USATF Outdoor Championships but made the three-man U.S. team for worlds because the third- and fourth-place finishers didn’t meet the qualifying standard.
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