Valerie Adams has confirmed she will not be defending her Shot Put title at the IAAF World Championships in Beijing later this month.
The current Olympic, World and Commonwealth champion has battled to be back at her best after shoulder and elbow operations, but has not fully recovered. The New Zealand athlete took to social media to break the news:
“I have thought about this long and hard and know it’s the right thing to do,” Adams told her fans on Instagram.
“I’m a realist and know I’m not ready just yet. It’s been a challenge since my surgery on my elbow, especially as it has/is taking more time then I thought it would.
“But that’s life and I must roll with the punches.”
Adams competed at the London Anniversary Games at the end of last month in the hopes of reaching some form ahead of the Championships, however she finished second to American Michelle Carter throwing 18.59m.
With Beijing a bridge too far, Adams has instead focused all her attention on bagging another gold medal in Rio:
“No one said it would be easy but I’m a willing participant and will continue to fight and work towards defending my title in Rio 2016.”
