PARIS, France ● French triple jumper Teddy Tamgho announced on Monday that he will miss the London Olympics after undergoing “a minor operation” on June 4 to remove a bone excrescence from his right ankle.
Tamgho had the operation after a piece of bone had not fully healed following an ankle fracture suffered in July last year.
World champion in 2010 and European indoor champion in 2011, Tamgho missed last year’s world championships in Daegu, South Korea after having surgery on the initial injury and had revealed little as to his physical condition in recent months.
The world indoor record holder (17.92m) had refused to talk to media ever since reports emerged that he lashed out at amateur female athlete Glodie Tudiesche at a training camp.
He is set to appear in court in connection with the incident in September, having already been banned for six months, plus six months suspended, by the French Athletics Federation (FFA).
“I took the decision in mid-May to not participate in the Olympics because of the pain,” said Tamgho, 22.
“And my coach (the Cuban Ivan Pedroso) was very understanding.
“I asked myself what the right thing to do would be, between trying to force it and show that I could do well, but risk handicapping myself for next season, or stopping and preparing correctly.
“I made my choice quickly. My objective is to be one step ahead for next season.”
Tamgho’s announcement comes days after France team doctor Jean-Michel Serra said he could not realistically rush back into competition.
“The problem for Teddy is to make a return proportional to the level of expectation,” Serra told AFP last week.
“There’s the whole psychological case surrounding him as well as the medical one.”