Johnson-Thompson and Asher-Smith out of Commonwealths

What the report says

Nile Post, carrying BBC Sport reporting, says Olympic silver medallist Katarina Johnson-Thompson has withdrawn from the Commonwealth Games because of injury, while several other prominent Team England athletes have also been replaced. Johnson-Thompson, 33, had been expected to contest the heptathlon at what would have been her third Commonwealth Games, after winning the title at Gold Coast 2018 and Birmingham 2022. Team England did not specify the nature of her injury and named Niamh Emerson, the 2018 bronze medallist, as her replacement.

The report also says sprinters Dina Asher-Smith and Daryll Neita, 400m Olympic silver medallist Matt Hudson-Smith, and 400m runner Amber Anning are no longer in England’s Glasgow squad. Asher-Smith and Hudson-Smith had been due to compete in relays. Renee Regis, Ebuka Nwokeji, Tara Simpson-Sullivan and Tom Keen have been added to the athletics team. The withdrawals were confirmed on the day of the opening ceremony, with track and field competition scheduled to begin on Monday.

The absences add to scrutiny of the Games’ place in the athletics calendar. England’s Olympic 800m champion Keely Hodgkinson had already opted out to focus on the European Championships in Birmingham, which begin on 10 August, while St Lucia sprinter Julien Alfred and Canadian swimmer Summer McIntosh are also not taking part in Glasgow. The article notes that some athletes prioritise other competitions because the Commonwealth Games do not include countries such as the United States, China and major European nations.

Organisers maintain the event can still succeed, pointing to established names and emerging athletes. The report adds that the Games faced disruption after Victoria withdrew as host in 2023, with final dates and scheduling confirmed only last October.