Commonwealth heptathlon champion Hazel unfazed by minor injury setback
COMMONWEALTH heptathlon champion Louise Hazel has been forced to pull out of this weekend’s meeting in Austria due to a minor shin injury.
Hazel, 25, from March, gave the performance of her life to win gold in Delhi last October but hasn’t completed a heptathlon since. However, the Birchfield Harrier admits missing the event in Gotzis will benefit her in the lead up to August’s World Athletics Championships in South Korea.
Hazel said: “I wanted to get out and compete as it’s been such a long indoor season and I haven’t done the heptathlon for a long time.
“I’m itching to get back into competition so it’s a bit frustrating. However, I’m always looking forward at the bigger picture and I want to be right for the world championships.
“I don’t take minor setbacks too seriously and I’m not panicking that I haven’t competed in a heptathlon since the Commonwealths as I had a big break before Delhi.”
Hazel competed in Sunday’s Loughborough International and won the 100m hurdles in 13.38 seconds and threw 40.86 metres in the javelin. She said she hopes to compete at a series of Grand Prix meetings before returning to heptathlon competition in July.
