- Jake Wightman has withdrawn from the Olympics due to a hamstring injury
- He was set to participate in the 800m, an event he doesn’t prefer, but has been replaced
- Elliot Giles will take his spot in the 800m after initially being overlooked for selection
Team GB has suffered a significant setback as Jake Wightman has withdrawn from the Olympics due to a hamstring injury.
Despite being the 2022 world champion in the 1500m, Wightman was slated to compete in the 800m after missing the British trials because of a calf issue.
At 30 years old, he has a European silver medal in the 800m, but he will miss the Paris Olympics entirely due to this injury.
Wightman had aimed to add an Olympic medal to his impressive collection of World, European, and Commonwealth medals.
Elliot Giles has stepped in to replace him in the 800m after being initially passed over for selection.
Former 1500m world champion Jake Wightman has been forced to pull out of the Olympics
Wightman had been set to compete in the 800m but is out with a hamstring injury
Giles, who hails from Birmingham, is preparing for his third Olympic appearance, hoping for improved results after not advancing to the final in Rio and Tokyo.
The 800m heats are set to commence at the Stade de France on August 8.
This has been a tough time for Wightman.
He missed out on defending his 1500m world title in Budapest last year due to a foot injury, with fellow Brit Josh Kerr taking the title instead. Kerr will compete in the 1500m this year.
Wightman was unable to compete in the British 1500m trials because of a calf injury, which resulted in him receiving a discretionary selection for the 800m.
Wightman expressed the difficulty of not being able to defend his world title, stating: ‘It was cruel in many ways. You achieve that title of being the best in the world on that day, yet not being able to return to that level in the same event is challenging.’
‘I was somewhat content last year because I thought, “Whatever, I’ll be in the mix in Paris against Josh, Jakob [Ingebrigtsen], and all the others.”
Elliot Giles has been selected to replace Wightman in the 800m and is preparing for his third Olympics
‘I always believed that even from Eugene, where I performed reasonably well, I knew I still had a significant way to go to be my best, but I couldn’t demonstrate that.’
‘It will be tough when the 1500m final begins in Paris. I initially thought it would be the peak of my season, but I have had time to come to terms that it is no longer the case. It is what it is.’
