Kiwi pole vaulter Eliza McCartney has withdrawn from this year's Athletics World Championships in Doha after a tough season plagued with injuries.
McCartney took to social media to confirm her decision, saying it came after a lot of thinking and speaking with her support crew.
"I have been making good progress but unfortunately after a year of disrupted training I‘ve run out of time to be ready to compete well at that level," McCartney said.
"It was really tough making the decision to end the season early, but right now I know this is the best decision for me and my career."
Prior to her recent hamstring issues, McCartney has also had to overcome injuries to her heel and Achilles.
The 22-year-old made her long-awaited return to the Diamond League in Paris last month but she was given a brutal wake up call when she failed to get past the first mark of 4.25m. That's in contrast to McCartney bronze medal performance at the 2016 Olympics where she reached 4.80m.
With next year's Olympics looming, McCartney is returning to New Zealand to fully overcome her recent hamstring niggle.
"Ironically I’m coming home physically the fittest I’ve been this year, so I’ll be taking a short break then getting straight into the training I need to hit our summer season strong."
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