Olympic Decathlon Champion Markus Rooth Withdraws From Tokyo World Championships After Injury

Olympic decathlon champion Markus Rooth of Norway will miss the 2025 World Athletics Championships in Tokyo due to an injury sustained during pole vault training, where he landed outside the mat and injured his knee and elbow. The 23-year-old, who won gold in Paris last year with a personal best of 8,796 points, will require surgery and be sidelined for at least four months. His absence opens the door for competitors like Simon Ehammer of Switzerland, who aims to medal in both the long jump and decathlon, although his current Swiss record may not guarantee a podium finish. The championships will also be without French world record holder Kevin Mayer, who is sidelined by a thigh injury. The decathlon field this year is led by top scores from Norwegian Sander Skotheim and American Kyle Garland, while the last American world decathlon champion was Ashton Eaton. Rooth expressed his disappointment but remains hopeful about returning to competition as soon as possible.