FILE PHOTO: Athletics - World Athletics Championship - Men's Decathlon - National Athletics Centre, Budapest, Hungary - August 26, 2023 Canada's Pierce Lepage celebrates after winning the gold medal in the the men's decathlon REUTERS/Dylan Martinez/File Photo
(Reuters) - Canada's reigning world decathlon champion Pierce LePage has withdrawn from the Paris Olympics due to a herniated disc in his back which requires surgery.
The 28-year-old announced the news in a lengthy video on Instagram, saying he had hoped up until recently he would be able to push through the pain to compete for his first Olympic medal, but does not want to risk further injury ahead of next season.
"The last couple of months have been draining, to say the least," LePage said in the video. "It's really tough to see your dream kind of slip away from your hands, even though you're trying as hard as you can for that not to happen."
LePage, who also won world silver two years ago, tested his back in training earlier this week but ended up injuring his hand and shoulders when his pole snapped during pole vault training.
"This is just the most cursed season I've ever had," he said. "I think the hardest part about not going (to the Olympics) is I feel like I let a lot of people down who supported me.
"(Paris) was the first time my family was going to come (to an Olympics) so that was kind of a bummer, and I'm sorry for that. But if there's one thing I've learned from this injury is I'm pretty resilient and I can really push through when it needs to be done."
LePage was fifth in his Olympic debut in 2021, where fellow Canadian Damian Warner won gold. Warner is among the favourites to win in Paris.
"Until last week or so I thought I was going to be able to push through and be able to go to (go to Paris), but I can't force my back to suddenly start working no matter how hard I try.
"It was either go to the Olympics, score 7,000 points if that (his personal best is 8,909) or hurt myself and risk future long-lasting damage," he said. "I want to defend my world title next year in Tokyo."
The two-day decathlon begins on Aug. 2.
(Reporting by Lori Ewing; Editing by Toby Davis)
