Olympic mixed medley relay champion Kathleen Dawson has been ruled out of the World Championships and Commonwealth Games with a back injury.
Dawson sustained the injury following the European Championships in Budapest where she won three golds among an overall medal haul of four.
The University of Stirling swimmer produced one of the performances of the meet when she won the 100 backstroke in a re-swim after the first race – in which she took gold – was declared void after an appeal was upheld.
She then went on to set a European record of 58.08 on the leadoff as Britain won the women’s medley relay.
However, a bulging disk that caused extreme pain down her leg hindered her preparations for Tokyo and subsequently her performances in the Japanese capital.
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The 24-year-old still managed to come sixth in the 100 back as well as taking gold in the inaugural Olympic mixed medley relay in a world record of 3:37.58.
Dawson was preselected for both the worlds and Commonwealth Games – in which she was to represent Team Scotland – and competed at last month’s British Championships.
However, she has now accepted that she will not be in either Budapest or Birmingham and it is highly unlikely she will return for the European Championships in Rome in August.
Instead, Dawson will undergo an rehab programme rather than surgery and will remain part of Team Scotland in a mentoring role.
Dawson said through Scottish Swimming:
“I’m incredibly disappointed not to be competing at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham this summer. I love representing Team Scotland and had really hoped to be competing, but my back needs rest and I know this is the right decision for me in the long term.”