Markus Rooth Withdraws from World Championships Due to Injury

Olympic decathlon champion Markus Rooth will not compete in the upcoming World Championships due to an injury. Rooth, who surprised many with his gold medal in Paris last year, had an accident during training on Sunday.

The 23-year-old Norwegian athlete landed outside the pole vault mat, injuring his knee and elbow, which will require surgery and sideline him for at least four months. "I realised straight away that it was serious enough that I could forget about the World Championships," Rooth remarked to reporters.

The World Athletics Championships are scheduled to take place in Tokyo from September 13 to 21, but Rooth will be absent due to his recovery process.

(With inputs from agencies.)