Germany's double European Pole Vault bronze medallist Yvonne Buschbaum will play no part in this summer's Olympic Games in Athens after discovering she requires an operation to resolve a recurring Achilles tendon problem.
The 23-year-old who was sixth in the 2003 World Championships, first noticed the problem towards the end of last season but competed through the pain barrier hoping it would clear up over the winter.
But she was forced to call off the complete indoor season as she continued to rest and has now decided to draw a line under her entire season by undergoing an operation that should allow her to concentrate on a full return for the 2005 indoor season.
After finishing sixth in the Sydney Olympics in 2000, Buschbaum would have been hopeful of going even better this year.
