Tokyo Olympics: Thomas Roehler, defending Javelin champion, ruled out due to injury

Thomas Roehler, the German men’s javelin defending champion, has pulled out of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics due to a back injury that he suffered during training. His inability to recover in time has led to his withdrawl from Tokyo Olympics, scheduled to get underway in less than a month.

In an official statement, Roehler's team said, "I found it incredibly difficult to reject Tokyo. I weighed it carefully with my trainer, but in the end, my health comes first. I want to practice my sport at a top level for a few more years. If I took part in the Olympic Games, I would simply risk too much because of the back injury."

Roehler had won the gold medal at the 2016 Rio Olympic Games with a winning throw of 90.30M and narrowly missing out on the Olympic record of 90.57M set by Andreas Thorkildsen. Roehler also won a gold medal at the 2018 European Athletics Championships with a throw of 89.47M.

However, Roehler and his team will now turn their attention to defending his gold at next year's European Championship in Munich and also the upcoming World Championship in Eugene, Oregon where they hope to have him fit in time to compete.

With Roehler’s withdrawal, it is now up to his fellow countryman Johannes Vetter, who had previously claimed a Gold at the 2017 World Championships in London, to try and bring home the gold for Germany at the Tokyo Olympics 2020.

Vetter is now the only man in Tokyo to have thrown over 93 metres, with his personal best being 97.76M and he surely would have his eyes set on Jan Zelezny's world record throw of 98.48M.

The Tokyo Olympics 2020 were originally scheduled for last year, however, was postponed owing to the COVID-19 pandmeic. It is now due to begin on July 23 and finish on August 8.