- Jake Wightman had to withdraw from the Olympics due to a hamstring injury
- He was due to compete in the 800m, his least favourite, but has been replaced.
- Elliot Giles takes the place of the former world and European 1500m champion
The British team has suffered a major blow with the injury of a big name: 800m runner Jake Wightman has had to withdraw from the Olympic Games.
Wightman, the 2022 world 1500m champion, was selected to run the 800m despite missing the British trials with a calf injury.
The 30-year-old has a European silver medal in his least favourite event but will now not compete in Paris after withdrawing with a hamstring problem.
With world, European and Commonwealth medals under her belt, Wightman was looking to add an Olympic feather to her cap.
Elliot Giles has been called up to replace him in the 800m after initially being overlooked for selection.
Former 1500m world champion Jake Wightman has been forced to withdraw from the Olympics
Wightman had been scheduled to compete in the 800 metres but is out with a hamstring injury.
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Birmingham-born Giles will be competing in his third Olympics and will be hoping for a better result after failing to reach the finals in Rio and Tokyo.
The 800m heats will begin at the Stade de France on 8 August.
It’s been a difficult period for Wightman.
A foot injury prevented him from defending his world 1500m title in Budapest last year, and fellow Briton Josh Kerr replaced him. Kerr will compete in the 1500m this year.
Wightman was unable to compete in the British 1500m trials due to a calf injury, resulting in him being given a discretionary place in the 800m.
After failing to defend his world title, Wightman said: “It was cruel in a lot of ways. You were given the title of being the best in the world that day and then not being able to get back to that point at that event (was tough).
‘Last year I was pretty satisfied because I thought: ‘It doesn’t matter, in Paris I’ll be in the mix at that distance against Josh, against Jakob (Ingebrigtsen), against everyone else.’
Elliot Giles has been called up to replace Wightman in the 800m and will be competing in his third Olympic Games.
‘I always believed that, even since Eugene, where I ran well, I knew that I still had a long way to go to be at my best and then I couldn’t prove it.
“I think it will be difficult when the 1500m final comes in Paris. At first I thought it would be the highlight of my season, but I’ve had a lot of time to realise that it’s not like that now. It just is.”
