Athletics: Edwards out of World Cup

JONATHAN EDWARDS has been ruled out of the World Cup in South Africa later this month.

The triple-jumper withdrew from last Friday's Brussels Golden League meeting when the ankle injury that has been troubling him all year became unbearable even after a pain-killing injection. He has now decided not to compete again this season.

Edwards will lose more than pounds 60,000 for missing this Saturday's IAAF Grand Prix Final in Moscow and the World Cup. But the newly crowned European champion is determined to have immediate surgery on his injured left ankle.

Edwards said: "The selectors were keen for me to jump as they felt it would make a difference between a maximum eight points or possibly just one. But I tried to train and I just couldn't put any weight on my foot.

"I hoped I might get one more competition before the end of the season. When I got back from Brussels, I felt slightly better. But this convinced me it is just not possible."

Now Edwards is hoping to have a keyhole operation in Switzerland next week performed by Roland Biedert, who resurrected the careers ofRoger Black and Sally Gunnell.

He becomes the third high-profile athlete to withdraw from the British team for the World Cup. The European 200m champion Dougie Walker withdrew through injury while the 400m runner Mark Richardson pulled out to concentrate on the Commonwealth Games.