MOSCOW, July 23 (R-Sport) – Olympic champion high jumper Andrey Silnov is unable to qualify for next month's world athletics championships after withdrawing from the Russian national athletics championships in Moscow on Tuesday.
It was not immediately clear why Silnov, who won gold at the Beijing 2008 Olympics, removed himself from competition at Luzhniki Stadium, which is also hosting the world championships from August 10-18.
Foot surgery at the end of last season forced the 28-year-old to skip all winter competitions and the first half of the 2013 summer schedule.
Regardless, it is unlikely Silnov’s absence will strike a blow to Russia’s podium chances at the upcoming world championships as 2011 silver medalist Aleksei Dmitrik and London 2010 gold medalist Ivan Ukhov vie for spots on the team.
The nationals started on Monday and run until July 25.
