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Thomas Röhler at the 2019 World Athletics Championships in Doha
Photo:
Hassan Ammar / AP
Olympic javelin champion Thomas Röhler has canceled his trip to the Summer Games in Tokyo.
Two days before the nomination, the Rio gold medalist announced his decision.
He suffers from back pain.
German athletics lacks a figurehead in Japan.
"Together with my trainer Harro Schwuchow, I weighed it carefully, but in the end my health has priority," said Röhler: "I have to listen to my body now because I want to do my sport at a top level for a few more years." To face the back injury in Tokyo would be too risky.
Johannes Vetter is to inherit Röhler
Johannes Vetter (Offenburg) has to bear the burden of expectations for the javelin throwers of the German Athletics Association (DLV) alone.
However, the 2017 world champion is firing 90-meter throws in series this year and is considered a top favorite for Röhler's successor.
The 29-year-old, on the other hand, looks back on months of sporty messed up.
Röhler's back has been on his mind for a long time; he suffered the injury during training.
The European champion from Berlin 2018 paused 609 days before he made a new attempt at the German championships in Braunschweig at the beginning of June, but was slowed down again.
After only one (invalid) attempt, Röhler broke off the competition, this time it was the pectoral muscle that pinched.
Nevertheless, Röhler was confident that he did not want to write off his start in Tokyo.
"I know what I've been training," he said: "That doesn't set me back a bit." Three weeks later, the father of the family from Jena ended.
German team in Tokyo without Rio Olympic champions
Since Olympic discus champion Christoph Harting is unlikely to be among the nominees, the German team will go to the games in Japan (July 23 to August 8) without a Rio winner.
The third German medal in Brazil was won five years ago by discus thrower Daniel Jasinski with bronze, after all the German champion will be part of the squad.
For Röhler it is now a matter of curing the problems, he is already looking ahead.
At the European Championships in Munich next year he will defend his European title, he has the 2022 World Cup in the USA in mind as well as the 2024 Summer Games in Paris.
ara / sid
