Olympic 200 metres champion Gabby Thomas withdrew from the upcoming World Championships on Tuesday with an Achilles injury that she has been managing since May, in a blow to American hopes later this month in Tokyo.

Thomas, who was also a member of the American 4x100m and 4x400m relay teams that won gold at last year's Olympics in Paris, secured her berth for the World Championships by finishing third at the U.S. championships.

However, Thomas said she exacerbated the injury in July, and it had not healed in time for the World Championships which begin in Tokyo on September 13 and run through September 21.

"It's tough news, and I know some track fans will be disappointed," Thomas said in a statement released on Tuesday. "But I've come to accept that it's okay to be human and prioritize

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