Triple jumper Eldhose Paul announced on Thursday that he has pulled out of the race to qualify for the Paris Olympic Games in July due to a heel bone fracture.
The 27-year-old from Kerala was set to compete at the ongoing National Inter-State Athletics Championships in Panchkula in a final attempt to earn qualification for the Olympics in Paris, but the injury has ended hopes of him making the cut for the quadrennial event in France.
“Unfortunately, I sustained an injury during the last competition I took part in, which occurred towards the end of the qualifying period,” Paul wrote in a post on his social media account.
“After returning to India and undergoing further evaluation, it’s been concluded that I have a fracture in the calcaneus [heel bone] that requires immediate attention.”
Paul picked up the injury at the JBL Jump Fest in Kosice, Slovakia – a World Athletics Continental Tour bronze event. The Indian jumper won a bronze medal at the event with a jump of 16.45 metres, but sustained the injury in the process.
He had shot into the limelight when he won gold at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, with a career best attempt of 17.03 m.
“As athletes, we understand that injuries are part of the sport and I choose to look forward with optimism,” he added in his message. “As I take this time to heal and recover, I am reminded that this is not the end of my story.”
