The world track and field championships lost another superstar when Olympic heptathlon champion Jessica Ennis-Hill pulled out of the August meet due to an Achilles injury.
It’s no shock. Ennis-Hill has been hampered since the spring, only competing twice since the Brit’s Olympic triumph a year ago.
“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,” Ennis-Hill said in a statement.
She had voiced concern after taking part in the London Anniversary Games on Saturday, taking fourth in the 100-meter hurdles and eighth (last place) in the long jump. Ennis-Hill said she was disappointed with her performance at the Olympic Stadium and would confer with her coach two or three days later about her status for worlds.
“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,” Ennis-Hill said. “The time has now come to stop chasing fitness and look to cure the problem.”
Ennis-Hill will now focus on getting healthy for the 2014 indoor season. The heptathlon at worlds is now wide open with Ennis-Hill and 2011 world champion Tatyana Chernova of Russia out with a knee injury.
American Sharon Day has the highest point total this year of those entered in Moscow — 6,550. That would have placed seventh at the Olympics and fourth at the 2011 world championships. No American has won a world title in the seven-event competition since Jackie Joyner-Kersee in 1993.
Canadian Brianne Theisen — who just married Olympic decathlon champion Ashton Eaton — is also in the medal picture after placing 11th at the Olympics.
Here’s a list of track and field stars who will not compete in Moscow:
Aslı Çakır Alptekin (drug test) — 2012 Olympic champion, 1,500 meters
Nijel Amos (injury) — 2012 Olympic silver medalist, 800 meters
Ryan Bailey (injury) — 2012 Olympics fifth place, 100 meters
Yohan Blake (injury) — 2011 world champion, 100 meters
Tatyana Chernova (injury) — 2011 world champion, heptathlon
Vivian Cheruiyot (extended break) — 2011 world champion, 5,000 meters, 10,000 meters
Veronica Campbell-Brown (drug test) — nine-time world championship sprint medalist
Walter Dix (injury) — 2011 world silver medalist, 100 meters, 200 meters
Jessica Ennis-Hill (injury) — 2012 Olympic champion, heptathlon
Tyson Gay (drug test) — 2007 world champion, 100 meters, 200 meters
Phillips Idowu (extended break) — 2009 world champion, triple jump
Lolo Jones (did not qualify) — 2012 Olympics fourth place, 100-meter hurdles
Abel Kirui (injury) — 2009, 2011 world champion, marathon
Liu Xiang (injury) — 2007 world champion, 110-meter hurdles
Taoufik Makhloufi (illness) — 2012 Olympic champion, 1,500 meters
Oscar Pistorius (trial) — 2011 world silver medalist, 4×400-meter relay
Asafa Powell (did not qualify) — 2007, 2009 world bronze medalist, 100 meters
Sanya Richards-Ross (injury) — 2009 world champion, 400 meters
Dayron Robles (banned by Cuba) — 2008 Olympic champion, 110-meter hurdles
David Rudisha (injury) — 2011 world champion, 800 meters
Caster Semenya (did not qualify) — 2009 world champion, 800 meters
Sherone Simpson (drug test) — 2008 Olympic silver medalist, 100 meters
Barbora Spotakova (childbirth) — 2008, 2012 Olympic champion, javelin
Andy Turner (injury) — 2011 world bronze medalist, 110-meter hurdles
Blanka Vlasic (injury) — 2007/2009 world champion, high jump
h/t @Statman_Jon, @UltimateCrans
