Canada's Derek Drouin forced to take 2018 season off
Reigning Olympic high jump champion has not competed since 2017
Reigning Olympic champion high jumper Derek Drouin will not return to competition this season.
After struggling with what he described as unusual symptoms in the pre-season, Drouin tweeted on Monday that he would forgo the 2018 track and field season on the recommendation of his medical team.
After a preseason spent dealing with unusual and confusing symptoms my medical team and I have decided that it’s in my best interest to take the 2018 season off from competition. I am optimistic that with rest and continued medical support I will return next year ready to compete
—@ddrouin10"I am optimistic that with rest and continued medical support I will return next year ready to compete," Drouin said in his tweet.
The 28-year-old, from Corunna, Ont., has not competed since last season. Drouin was forced to pull out of last year's world championships because of a small tear in his Achilles tendon.
Drouin withdrew from April's Commonwealth Games in Australia.
He won world gold in 2015 in Beijing, then followed it up with Olympic gold in 2016 in Rio. He became Canada's first Olympic champion in an athletics field event since 1932, when Duncan McNaughton also won gold in high jump.
Prior to his struggle with injury, Drouin was looking to add decathlon to his already lengthy resume. He was training with the hopes of possibly competing in the discipline this season.