World Champion Asher-Smith Pulls Out Of Olympic 200m

Tokyo, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 31st Jul, 2021 ) :World 200 metres champion Dina Asher-Smith said Saturday she was pulling out of the event at the Tokyo Olympics because of a hamstring injury.

After failing to reach the Olympic 100m final, a tearful Asher-Smith told the BBC she had torn a hamstring before the Games.

"I am going to pull out, and that is the one as reigning world champion and (as) I was in such good shape you know that Olympic champion isn't that much of a further step," the Briton said.

"The last few weeks of my athlete life have been absolutely insane," she added.

The 25-year-old said she had almost pulled out of the Games before travelling to Tokyo after a first examination of her hamstring injury but a second opinion revealed there was no rupture.

"My hamstring was still attached, so we turned over every single stone to make sure I can stand on the line," she said.

But with the 200m heats starting on Monday, she has decided not to run.

Asher-Smith, who won the 200m world title in Doha two years ago, had withdrawn from the British Grand Prix in Gateshead earlier this month, complaining of the injury.

Although she had then insisted before the Games she was fit to compete, she could only manage third place in her 100m semi-final in 11.05sec, which was not enough to progress to the final.

"Obviously I'm so disappointed not to make the final because this is Tokyo 2020, it's everything I've trained for for the past two years," she said.