Commonwealth Games double silver medallist Nikki Hamblin has failed in her fitness battle to compete at the London Olympic Games.
Hamblin has been nursing a troublesome achilles tendon for some time and withdrew from a race in Shanghai recently when it again flared up.
She consulted specialists in the United States and an MRI scan this week confirmed a small tear in the tendon. As a result of the tear, Hamblin was forced to make the disappointing decision to withdraw from contention for London.
She had bettered the selection standard for the 1500 metres twice last year and won the New Zealand title in March. Her training was going well and she was confident she could prove to the selectors her fitness was up to standard for nomination and selection in the team.
She will now take a break and consider the options for treatment and rehabilitation with an eye on the world championships in Moscow next year and the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.
