BEIJING (AP) – Three events in and American decathlete Trey Hardee had to withdraw. His throbbing lower back couldn’t take anymore punishment.
The two-time world champion hurt his back on Friday in the long jump, then struggled in the shot put before shutting himself down at the world championships. Hardee said he was “devastated” to have to pull out of the 10-event competition, but it “just wasn’t meant to be.”
“I need to focus now on getting prepared for 2016 and what will be my final Olympic campaign,” Hardee said.
After a solid time in the 100-meter race, Hardee was in good shape to push defending champion and teammate Ashton Eaton. But Hardee did something to his lower back in the long jump, clutching at his left side when he stepped out of the pit after a foul on his third attempt.
It carried over to the shot put, where he didn’t throw anywhere near his usual distance. His agent, Paul Doyle, didn’t know the exact injury or how long this might sideline Hardee.