Katarina Johnson-Thompson is among nine England stars to pull out of this summer's Commonwealth Games. The event has been plagued with problems in the build-up.
Background to the Games
The original hosts, Victoria, Australia, effectively paid AUS$380million (£199m) to pull out in July 2023 because it feared losses running into the billions. Glasgow then stepped in to host a cheaper and stripped-back event, with only 10 sports compared to 19 in Birmingham four years ago.
Glasgow also hosted the Games in 2014 and was therefore in a position to offer a solution of a condensed format using existing venues to minimise taxpayer costs. But now some of the competition's leading athletes have withdrawn.
Withdrawals
Johnson-Thompson and Dina Asher-Smith are among the latest big names to pull out. The duo are two of nine members of the England athletics team to withdraw on the day of the opening ceremony - dealing a major blow to competition organisers.
Fellow Olympic medallists Matthew Hudson-Smith and Daryll Neita have also announced their withdrawals alongside Amber Anning, Zac Sneddon, Anna Purchase, Elliot Giles and Jona Efoloko.
Johnson-Thompson's decision
Liverpool-born Johnson-Thompson had been expected to target a hat-trick of Commonwealth Games titles, having previously won gold in both the Gold Coast and Birmingham editions. But the 33-year-old is still recovering from an injury and has chosen to prioritise next month's European Championships in Birmingham.
Posting on Instagram, she said: "I'm gutted to have to pull out of this year's Commonwealth Games. I was so looking forward to competing on home soil and having the chance to defend my Commonwealth title!"
"Although the injury I picked up earlier this season has improved, I haven't been able to get back to the level I need to compete at my best. After discussing it with my team, we've made the difficult decision to focus on giving myself the best chance of being ready for the European Championships, so working very hard to be there later this season."
"Missing a championship is never easy, but I know it's the right decision. I can't wait to be back competing again soon."
Other absentees
The hectic schedule has posed a quandary for several leading athletes including Olympic champion Keely Hodgkinson, who decided not to compete at the Glasgow Games. International stars who have previously pulled out of the Games include multiple Olympic swimming medallists Kaylee McKeown and Summer McIntosh of Australia and Canada, respectively, and Hodgkinson's 800m rival, Mary Moraa of Kenya.
Away from the athletics track, triple Olympic gymnastics champion Max Whitlock was forced to call time on his comeback bid earlier this month due to injury.
The Commonwealth Games will run from Thursday to August 2, while the European Athletics Championships are scheduled for August 10-16.
