New Zealand pole-vaulter Eliza McCartney's European season has been cut short after sustaining a heel injury in a Diamond League accident.
Eliza McCartney Photo: PHOTOSPORT
In what would have been the 21-year-old's final swan song this year McCartney's heel injury has become too painful to bear forcing the Olympic bronze medallist to withdraw from the upcoming Continental Cup event.
Two weeks ago in Birmingham McCartney landed in the pit where she plants the pole, injuring her heel and resulting in her having to withdraw from the Diamond League final.
While she appeared to be on the mend with every intention to compete in Ostrava, Athletics NZ high performance director Scott Goodman said she was unable to plant her injured foot.
"She was able to run during the week and planned to compete at the Continental Cup but she did a session and was trying to take off and that caused pain," Goodman said.
"She is at a level that she won't be able to compete here."
She has not competed since Birmingham and had been hoping to recover in time to be part of the Asia-Oceania team for the popular meet.
Goodman said while she appeared to be in good spirits the disappointment was evident with both McCartney and her coach after soaring to new heights this season surpassing the 4.90-metre mark twice within a month.
Instead McCartney, accompanied by her parents, will head home to Auckland in the next couple of days to start recovery and base training to build back up to full strength and Goodman says the injury is short term.
"The medical advice is that this will only be a week or two but she was running and sprinting flat out during the week," Goodman said.
"The Diamond League and this meet would've been a really nice way to end to the season but I suppose that's what happens in athletics sometimes.
"She's happy enough it'll just involve a week or two of modified training."
- RNZ