Alysha Newman bows out of indoor world pole vault final with right ankle injury

The women’s pole vault final at the World Athletics Indoor Championships started and will finish Saturday without medal hopeful Alysha Newman.

The London, Ont., athlete withdrew from the event minutes before it began, unable to overcome pain in her right ankle after hurting herself while cooling down after Thursday’s practice in Glasgow, Scotland.

“If this was the Olympics it’s something you would push through,” the 29-year-old told CBC Sports reporter Devin Heroux. “I did everything [possible to compete]. [I] was up [Saturday until 3, 4 a.m. local time] doing treatments. We got all the inflammation out.

“Weirdy, now that the inflammation’s out, I have more pain. I sprinted [in warmup and] felt great … [but] I was getting sharp pain down the runway.”

Newman said she has a Grade 2 ankle sprain and has been told by doctors to not train for three to five weeks and will have an MRI upon returning home.

On Feb. 22, she cleared a winning 4.83 metres at the All-Star Perche in Clermont-Ferrand, France to improve her Canadian record. It was the fourth time in nine competitions this season she has jumped 4.70 or higher.

Heroux noted Newman pulled up on two or three warmup attempts on the runway ahead of Saturday’s event.

“I’ve come a long way from injury and you have to go with your gut. I’m so proud of my indoor season. … This is a minor setback compared to my other injuries and that’s what I need to remember. This is not new territory for me.”

Newman said she was able to walk about 24 hours after suffering the injury and got her foot in her running spikes “with a lot of swelling.”

2023 World Indoor Tour title

The swelling had subsided Saturday, allowing the two-time Olympian to attend warmup. She felt good wearing flat shoes but the pain was too much in her spikes.

Newman competed eight times indoors a year ago, capped by a winning clearance of 4.78 at the World Indoor Tour Final last Feb. 25 in Birmingham, England.

She also appeared in 15 outdoor events, jumping a season-best and Canadian championship record 4.73 in Langley, B.C., on the way to a national title in July. The next month, she cleared 4.50 to fall short of making the final at outdoor worlds in Budapest, Hungary.

Newman was hampered by injury in 2021, specifically a lingering concussion, while a stress fracture in her left heel cut short her 2022 campaign.

Audrey Leduc of Laval, Que., ran a personal-best 7.21 seconds in the women’s 60-metre semifinals but didn’t qualify among the top eight for the final, placing 18th.

The 24-year-old clocked 7.22 earlier in the day in her heat.

“It’s a great experience and the right competition to do it. I’m very happy,” she told CBC Sports.

Leduc’s previous best was 7.25, set a week ago at an event hosted by Laval University.

A business student, the five-foot-seven sprinter broke a Canada Games record in 2022, stopping the clock in 11.55 seconds to win the women’s 100 in Thorold, Ont.

Femke Bol lowered her world record in the 400 final to 49.17 to claim the world title over Dutch teammate, friend and training partner Lieke Klaver (50.16). Alexis Holmes of the United States took bronze in 50.24.