Eliza McCartney is taking a break from pole vaulting to get a nagging hamstring injury right.
The Olympic bronze medallist missed the national championships this month, and has now pulled out of the Sir Graham Douglas track challenge tomorrow in Auckland after visiting a specialist in Melbourne.
Her coach Jeremy McColl says it's a necessary step so that McCartney's fit for the Diamond League events mid-year, and the world championships in spring.
"She has been training but just not at the intensity that she's used to training at. It's been a little bit dialled back. She was able to compete in January where she jumped a massive 4.85m. It just hasn't got any better since then," McColl said.
"It's more precautionary than anything else. The main thing is with the European season because the World Champs are so late this year and then a short turnaround to the Olympics she needs to be right going into her European campaign."
