Greg Rutherford has withdrawn from the Great Britain team for next month’s European Indoor Championships in Prague.
British Athletics confirmed on Friday that the Olympic, European and Commonwealth long jump champion would not be competing in the Czech Republic, three days after he was named in the 39-strong squad.
Rutherford originally planned to skip the event but changed his mind and looked in prime form when setting an indoor personal best at the Birmingham Indoor Grand Prix last weekend. The 28-year-old has now performed another U-turn and decided to let his body recover from the competition fully and concentrate on the outdoor season ahead.
He said: “While I would have loved to compete at the European Indoor Championships I have decided to remove myself after a long deliberation. My body still hasn’t fully recovered from the Grand Prix and with an incredibly important summer coming up where I intend on giving it my all to win the World Championships in Beijing I’ve decided to keep my focus purely on the summer season.
He added: “I wish all of the British athletes competing in Prague the very best of luck and I will be a fan cheering them on from home.”
The new British women’s long jump record holder, Katarina Johnson-Thompson, will compete in the pentathlon in Prague alongside the 17-year-old Morgan Lake. The championships run from 5-8 March.
