Lachie Kennedy Joins Jemima Montag In Pulling Out Of World Titles In Dual Blow For Australia

Australia’s athletics squad has suffered a double rustle weeks retired from nan world championships successful Tokyo pinch rising sprinter Lachie Kennedy and genuine badge imaginable Jemima Montag some ruled retired pinch heartbreaking injuries.

Kennedy, who on pinch Gout Gout is astatine nan forefront of Australia’s breathtaking emerging sprinting stock, revealed connected Tuesday he has had to make nan difficult determination to skip nan worlds successful Japan, which statesman connected 13 September.

“It’s pinch a dense bosom I person to denote that I will not beryllium competing astatine this year’s world championships successful Tokyo owed to a progressing injury,” Kennedy wrote connected Instagram.

“Grateful for nan twelvemonth and nan support I’ve received, I wouldn’t alteration a thing. I’ll usage this clip to heal, turn and travel backmost stronger than ever.”

The news comes connected nan aforesaid time dual Olympic stepping medallist Montag besides announced she had been forced to propulsion retired of nan championships pinch room required connected a problematic hamstring.

Having already won metallic astatine nan 2023 world titles and bronze successful nan 20km and mixed marathon relay astatine past year’s Paris Olympics, Montag was a considered a chance to present golden for Australia successful Tokyo.

“Knowing astatine that constituent we would only person 5 aliases six weeks until Tokyo and that this hamstring tendon wounded has nan propensity to recur, yet nan aesculapian squad decided it was champion to alert home, get it operated connected and prioritise nan longer-term vision,” Montag told AAP.

“It’s specified a heart-sinking infinitesimal because I’d felt it earlier [at a training campy successful June].

Montag aft winning bronze successful nan mixed marathon relay successful Paris. Photograph: David Ramos/Getty Images

“You’ve been hoping and praying passim nan rehab that you’ve sewage capable time, that you’re simultaneously taking things slow capable but besides progressing quickly capable that you’ll beryllium bully for nan world championships erstwhile it matters. So emotion that crisp symptom successful nan hammy for nan 2nd clip was reasonably heartbreaking.”

In June this year, Kennedy became conscionable nan 2nd Australian to break nan 10-second obstruction complete 100m, clocking 9.98 seconds successful Nairobi pinch nan assistance of a ineligible tailwind, beating Gout to nan magical milestone.

Gout and Rohan Browning person some threatened to spell sub-10 precocious but not yet managed to grounds charismatic times. Gout’s 2 efforts of 9.99s astatine this year’s nationalist championships were aided by an forbidden tailwind and did not count, while he ran 9.94s this weekend, but astatine a schoolboy meet which was hand-timed and not recognised officially.

Australia’s last Tokyo-bound squad will beryllium announced adjacent week.