Olympic 200m champion Gabby Thomas has been ruled out of this month’s World Athletics Championships after aggravating an Achilles tendon injury.
The American sprint star, who also struck gold in the 4x100m and 4x400m relays at the Paris Olympics, revealed on Tuesday that she will not compete in Tokyo, where the Championships are set for September 13–21.
Thomas has battled the injury since May, but it worsened in July. Despite the setback, she managed to secure her place on the U.S. team at the National Trials in August, edging Olympic bronze medalist Brittany Brown by just one-thousandth of a second to finish third in the 200m.
However, after consulting with her team and weighing the risks, the 28-year-old announced her withdrawal.
“I understand that it will be disappointing for some track fans to hear this news, but I’ve finally come to the realization that it’s OK to be human and take care of myself,” Thomas said in a statement.
“As an athlete you always want to keep grinding, but sometimes you simply can’t outwork an injury. Sometimes it’s about patience and making the right decision for the long term. All the best to my Team USA teammates fighting for medals in Tokyo.”
USA Track and Field has not yet confirmed its final roster for the Championships.
Brown later qualified for the 200m by winning the Diamond League Final in Zurich last week, while Melissa Jefferson-Wooden and Anavia Battle qualified by finishing first and second respectively at the USA Track and Field Outdoor Championship on August 3 in Eugene, Oregon.
