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Viktor Axelsen, double Olympic gold medallist, has withdrawn from BWF World Championships because of injury rehab.
Viktor Axelsen has withdrawn from the World Championships (Picture credit: AFP)
Double Olympic gold medallist Viktor Axelsen has withdrawn from the upcoming BWF World Championships, citing rehabilitation from injury. The tournament is scheduled to start on August 25 in Paris and the star Danish shuttler took to Instagram to inform of his absence.
Axelsen has been out of competitive badminton since undergoing surgery three months ago to treat a herniated disc.
Axelsen confirmed that he has not recovered in time to compete in the upcoming tournament in Paris.
“After careful consultation with my medical team, I’ve been advised to dedicate more time to my rehabilitation. As a result, I unfortunately won’t be able to get tournament-ready in time to compete safely at the upcoming World Championships,” Axelsen wrote on his Instagram story.
“While it’s tough to miss such a big event, I’m not discouraged. On the contrary, I’m highly motivated to keep pushing forward with my rehab and set myself a new goal to come back stronger,” Axelsen said.
Axelsen, 31, hasn’t competed on the tour since suffering a second-round exit at the European Championships in April.
Axelsen started the year with a title victory at the India Open in New Delhi but faced a surprise first-round exit at the All England Open. Once ranked inside the top 5 earlier this year, Axelsen has now slipped to World No. 18.
A world champion in 2017 and 2022, the star Danish shuttler was knocked out in the quarters by HS Prannoy at last year’s edition of the tournament, held in Copenhagen.
Axelsen will now shift his focus to a full recovery and plan his comeback with an eye on the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
Having won gold in Tokyo and defended his title in Paris, Axelsen will now be aiming for a historic hat-trick in Los Angeles.
From India, Lakshya Sen and HS Prannoy are expected to represent the country in the men’s singles.
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