Team GB star forced to withdraw from the Olympics with hamstring injury – with former world champion’s exit a major blow to British medal hopes
Team GB have suffered a major injury blow as 800m runner Jake Wightman has been forced to withdraw from the Olympic Games.
Wightman, the 2022 world 1500m champion, was selected to run the 800m despite missing the British trials with a calf injury.
The 30-year-old has won a silver medal at European level in his least favourite event, but he will not compete at all in Paris after withdrawing with a hamstring injury.
With medals at World, European and Commonwealth level under his belt, Wightman was keen to add an Olympic feather to his cap.
Elliot Giles has been called up to replace him in the 800m after initially not being selected.
Former 1500m world champion Jake Wightman forced to withdraw from Olympic Games
Wightman was scheduled to compete in the 800m but is absent due to a hamstring injury
Birmingham-born Giles will be competing at the Olympics for the third time and will be hoping for a better result after failing to reach the finals in Rio and Tokyo.
The 800m heats start on August 8 at the Stade de France.
It was a challenging period for Wightman.
A foot injury prevented him from defending his 1500m world title in Budapest last year, when compatriot Josh Kerr took his place. Kerr will compete in the 1500m this year.
Wightman was subsequently unable to compete in the British 1500m trials due to a calf injury, giving him a discretionary place in the 800m.
After failing to defend his world title, Wightman said: ‘It was brutal in many ways. You get that title from the best in the world on that day and then you can’t get back to that point in that event. [was hard].
‘Last year I was happy with it because I thought: “What does it matter, I’ll be there in Paris in the mix over that distance against Josh, against Jakob [Ingebrigtsen]against everyone else.”
‘I’ve always believed that and even in Eugene, where I performed well, I knew I had a long way to go to be at my best and I couldn’t show that now.
‘I think it will be difficult when the 1500m final starts in Paris. It will be what I initially thought would be the highlight of my season, but I’ve had a lot of time to realise that’s not the case now. It just is what it is.’