Olympic 110m hurdles champion and world record holder Dayron Robles has decided to end his indoor season due to a thigh injury.
After cancelling a pair of scheduled appearances this winter, the 22-year-old Cuban finally made his debut in Lievin, France, on Tuesday, only to jog through the finish. A subsequent MRI discovered fluid in his tendon and hamstring area, resulting in his coach's decision to bypass the remainder of the indoor season.
Robles was one of the primary sensations during the 2008 indoor season, winning eight straight races in his build-up to the world indoor championships. His 7.33 second performance in the 60m hurdles in Dusseldorf that season elevated him to the No. 2 position all-time, trailing only Colin Jackson’s world record of 7.30 set in 1994. A heavy favorite, Robles failed to advance from the opening round at the world indoor championships, but rebounded three months later by setting a world record of 12.87 in the 110m hurdles in Ostrava, Czech Republic, in just his third race of the outdoor season.
He won 12 of his 14 competitions outdoors in 2008, including the Olympic title in Beijing.
Robles was expected to compete at the BW-Bank Meeting in Karlsruhe, Germany, on Sunday, and at the Aviva Grand Prix in Birmingham, England, on Saturday, Feb. 21.
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