Britain's Olympic heptathlon champion Jessica Ennis-Hill ruled herself out of next month's world championships because she has not fully recovered from an Achilles injury.
"Up until now we have been focusing on managing the pain so I can train and get myself in shape to go out there to win in Moscow - which has meant not focusing on finding a cure for the injury. The time has now come to stop chasing fitness and look to cure the problem," she said in a statement on Wednesday.
The Briton, world champion in 2009 and silver medallist two years ago, has struggled to shake off a persistent left Achilles problem. She only made her competitive comeback last week, almost 12 months after winning the Olympic title in London.
"I am so glad I got to compete in London last weekend (at the Anniversary Games Diamond League meeting) as it gave me a clear picture of where I am - and it is definitely not where I want to be both regarding pain and also form.
"To say I am gutted is an understatement - no athlete likes to miss the opportunity to compete at a major championships - they don't come round that often," she added in the statement issued by British Athletics.
Photograph: Suzanne Plunkett/Reuters
