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Citing health issues, Olympic gold medalist Yannick Agnel of France has elected to withdraw from the 2015 World Championships in Kazan, Russia.
According to L’Equipe, Agnel suffered a bout with pleurisy that kept him from standard training for nearly a month.
With this huge gap in training, Agnel has decided to pull out of Worlds and refocus his training for the 2016 Olympic Games. He will be back in the pool in mid-August.
“I’m disappointed not to be able to defend my world title after a good start this year, especially with great training in Font-Romeau in May,” Agnel told L’Equipe. “The Olympics remain my goal. I know that it is better to play it safe since I already had pneumonia in 2011. I prefer to fully recover this summer instead of expending considerable energy to prepare for the World Championships in conditions that are far from optimal.”
This is the second defending champion to pull out of Worlds with 100-meter free titlist James Magnussen withdrawing last month.
Agnel was the defending champion in the 200-meter free, and looked to have a huge chance to successfully defend his title with Tae Hwan Park also missing Worlds due to a doping suspension.
For more details, read the L’Equipe article in French.
This is a very good news to Russia and bye bye to France chance to win 4×100 or medal in 4×200.
Sun Yang will make Gold in 200-400-800-1500 for The first (and it’ll remain Forever) Time in The history
Simon-Pierre Bélanger
Y’allais pas gagner pas grave
To bad he(sun yang) can stil swim at Wch. Once he used drogs he should be suspended for life.
Noob