Mondo Duplantis has withdrawn from the London Diamond League due to a recurrence of a leg injury that has plagued him throughout the latter half of the season. This withdrawal raises significant concerns about his fitness ahead of the inaugural World Athletics Ultimate Championships set to take place in Budapest next week.

Duplantis initially pulled out of the London event in July with a minor leg issue, which reemerged during last week’s meet in Zurich. The same problem persisted in the season-ending meet in Brussels, casting doubts on his readiness for the upcoming championships.

Before the competition in Brussels on Friday, Duplantis addressed the crowd, stating:

I pushed through it, probably a little bit too much. I said that if I felt this irritation during my warm-up, I wasn't going to jump. Therefore, I made the difficult decision not to start.

In his absence, Emmanouil Karalis, Duplantis’ main rival, capped off a stellar end to his season by breaking the Swede’s meeting record with a jump of 6.12m, claiming the Diamond League crown.

The Ultimate Championships promises a thrilling conclusion to the outdoor season, featuring a high-profile clash between middle-distance stars Josh Kerr and Jakob Ingebrigtsen, alongside a record $10 million in prize money, including $150,000 for each individual champion.

Duplantis remarked:

We will see if I can make it to the Ultimate Championships. I don't have the answer right now.

Additionally, Noah Lyles, the Olympic 100m champion, has also pulled out due to injury but plans to attend the championships. Lyles stated:

Unfortunately, I come with some not great news... I still think that this is going to be an amazing competition, and I'm excited to watch that.