British way cyclist Ed Clancy has withdrawn from the Tokyo Olympics and announced his contiguous retirement, conscionable hours earlier his pursuit squad was scheduled to compete.
Citing an ongoing backmost and sciatica injury, the 36-year-old's status means helium gives up the accidental of winning a golden medal astatine a 4th consecutive Olympic Games.
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Clancy was portion of the Great Britain squad that won the squad pursuit titles successful Beijing (2008), London (2012) and Rio (2016). He besides won a bronze medal successful the omnium lawsuit successful London.
His spot has been taken by Charlie Tanfield, who joins Ethan Hayter, Ethan Vernon and Ollie Wood successful the team.
"I'm perfectly gutted that my Olympic vocation has ended this way, but it would beryllium unfair of maine to effort to transportation connected present I person aggravated my backmost injury," Clancy said.
"Ultimately, I privation the remainder of the lads to physique connected the hard enactment we person done implicit the past twelvemonth and a fractional and springiness them the champion imaginable accidental of making it connected to the podium. I volition beryllium supporting them each the way."
Along with his 3 Olympic golden medals, Clancy is simply a six-time satellite champion.
"I person achieved much during my clip than I ever could person dreamed of, it's thing I volition retrieve for the remainder of my life," helium said.
"It's been a pleasure, to the grade that if I could spell backmost successful clip I would bash it each implicit again.
"It's a pugnacious call, due to the fact that I'm enjoying it much present than I ever person done, but the hard prime is usually the close 1 and close present is the clip to go."
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