SYDNEY: Reigning Commonwealth discus champion Scott Martin has withdrawn from Australia’s team for the Delhi Games with a chest injury, reports said on Thursday. Martin injured a chest muscle while competing at the Oceania Athletics Championships in Cairns, north Queensland, last week. Martin, who was due to fly to New Delhi on Thursday, said he was disappointed not to defend his title next week.
“I’ve had a category one or grade one tear in my right pectoral which has disabled me from throwing so I’m not going to make the trip over,” Martin told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. “It’s very difficult decision not to go, but the decision was made for me I guess with the injury. “I really couldn’t compete, certainly not at my best and there would be no opportunity to train before the competition.”
He becomes the third top Australian athlete to pull out of the Games after women’s world discus champion Dani Samuels withdrew because of security and health concerns and reigning Commonwealth 400-metre champion John Steffensen because of a dispute with Athletics Australia – Indiatimes
