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Reigning javelin Olympic champion Thomas Rohler of Germany said he will not be competing in the Tokyo Olympics due to a back injury.
Thomas Rohler was out of action for a while after injuring his back during training. The German had competed in the national championship earlier this year but could only manage one throw, a foul, before calling it off.
The defending Olympic champion said keeping in mind the long-term demands of the game, he decided to pull out of the Tokyo Olympics 2020.
“I need to listen to my body now because I want to keep doing my sport for another couple of years at the top level. By taking part in the Olympic Games, I would be risking too much because of this back injury,” he was quoted on the German Athletics Association website.
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Thomas Rohler, the 2018 European champion, won gold at the Rio de Janeiro Olympics with an effort of 90.30m.
Thomas Rohler's ouster depltes field at Tokyo Olympics
With Thomas Rohler out of action, his compatriot Johannes Vetter could win the gold medal.
Earlier, Estonian javelin ace Margus Kirt pulled out of the Tokyo Olympics due to a leg injury.
The two withdrawals mean India’s Neeraj Chopra will have a high chance of finishing on the podium at the Tokyo Olympics.
At the Olympics, Jan Zelezny holds the world record with a throw of 98.48m and Johannes Vetter at 97.76m will be gunning to break that record. Although India’s Neeraj Chopra hasn’t thrown the spear over 90m, the Indian’s European stint ahead of the Tokyo Olympics 2020 would put him in good stead to finish on the podium.
At the Tokyo Olympics 2020, the javelin throw qualifying round is on August 4 and the final is on August 7.
However, setting sights on the future and leaving the disappointment of missing out on the Tokyo Olympics 2020 behind, Thomas Rohler will hope to compete at the European Championships in Munich and World Championships in Oregon.
