A hamstring injury has forced Jake Wightman to withdraw from the 800m at the Paris Olympics.
Wightman won gold in the 1500m at the 2022 world championships in Eugene, Oregon but has dealt with a series of injuries, including a torn calf muscle that ruled him out of the British trials in June.
He was given a discretionary selection to run in the 800m in Paris despite not competing at trials, but ran 1:44:10 at the Los Angeles Grand Prix in May and 1:45.35 at the Diamond League in Stockholm in June.
Wightman’s father, and coach, Geoff Wightman said on social media, “Unfortunately the tightness in his right hamstring that he felt in the closing stages of the final rep was scanned yesterday and revealed a tear.”
He added, “He is out of Paris 24. It’s a huge disappointment and overload issues are down to me.”
Team Great Britain announced on social media that Elliot Giles will replace Wightman in the event, which begins on Aug. 7. Giles ran 1:44.46 for his best time of the season and competed at the 2021 Olympic Games with an 11th place finish in the 800m semifinal.
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