Matthew Mitcham pulls out of world diving championships

While we'll regret not seeing Matthew dive, we wish him the best on his further recovery. From the Herald Sun:

OLYMPIC gold medalist Matthew Mitcham has withdrawn from July's world championships because of an abdominal injury.

The champion diver said he was disappointed to miss out on the world titles but was wary of preserving his body for next year’s London Games. "I have told myself that withdrawing from Shanghai is all for the greater good with the London Olympics being the important one," Mitcham said. Not competing with an injury is the best thing for my Olympic preparation. This is a small sacrifice to make for the bigger picture, which is London next year."

Mitcham, 23, first tore his abdominal muscle during the Canada Cup in Montreal in May, 2010. Even though he went on to win gold in the 10 metre platform at the event, he has battled to recover from the injury since.

Mitcham’s doctor advised him not to compete at the world championships in Shanghai as he risked re-injury. It means his much-anticipated showdown with English teenage prodigy Tom Daley and Chinese divers Qiu Bo and Huo Liang will have to wait until next year’s Olympics. But Mitcham can see the positives in missing the world titles and preserving his top diving status in the 10m platform.

"Initially I was really disappointed," Mitcham said. "That initial disappointment lasted three days – I realise now it is a good thing because I would have re-torn it and made it so much worse. Then I would have been out for three months and I’d be diving (in Shanghai) with really poor preparation.

"All of these other divers would have gone into London 2012 thinking, ‘Yes, I have beaten the Olympic champion’. They would have this new confidence but now they can’t say that. There have been these realisations that have stopped me from being so disappointed about the whole situation."

Mitcham said he tried to hurry through rehabilitation in order to be fit for Shanghai but his doctor advised him against diving in China last Thursday. "We were trying to cut corners and rush through the rehab up until last week it started getting sore again," he said. "The risk is just not worth it. The doctor said I am five to seven times more likely to re-tear it. If I do, I would be out for three months. I just can’t afford that, unfortunately."

Mitcham will be out of the water for six weeks while he undergoes intense rehabilitation. He looks forward to resting his body as the latest abdominal injury follows on from two stress fractures in his back he developed last year ahead of the 2010 Commonwealth Games. Mitcham still managed to go on and win four silver medals at the Commonwealth Games with the injury.