Wales’ Pawlett out of Commonwealth heptathlon
Welsh athlete Abi Pawlett has withdrawn from the heptathlon at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, becoming the second high-profile withdrawal from the event after Katarina Johnson-Thompson also pulled out. The 22-year-old is still recovering from an Achilles injury that forced her out of the World Indoor Championships in March, and the demands of competing across seven heptathlon disciplines have proved too great given her recovery.
Pawlett had shown strong form earlier in the year, winning the British 60m hurdles indoor title and setting a personal pentathlon best in February, before the Achilles problem intervened. She will still compete in the 200m in Glasgow, where she is Wales' only female sprinter in that event after national record holder Hannah Brier was left out for missing the qualification cut-off date, a decision Brier criticised as unfairly early compared with other nations.
- Abi Pawlett withdraws from Commonwealth Games heptathlon due to Achilles injury
- She follows Katarina Johnson-Thompson in pulling out
- Pawlett will still race the 200m in Glasgow
New here? Start with this
The Commonwealth Games brings together athletes from across the Commonwealth every four years to compete in summer sports. The heptathlon is one of track and field's most challenging events, requiring competitors to excel across seven disciplines including sprints, jumps and throws over two days.
Abi Pawlett is a 22-year-old Welsh sprinter and jumper who showed strong form earlier this year, winning the British indoor 60 metres hurdles title and setting personal bests in pentathlon events. She had been tipped as a prospect for Wales at this summer's Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.
Pawlett sustained an Achilles tendon injury earlier this year that significantly affected her training and recovery. Heptathlon is particularly demanding because athletes must be fully fit across multiple disciplines, which can prove difficult when returning from injury.