Heartbroken Hunter’s Olympic doubles dream dashed by injury

SYDNEY: World number three doubles player Storm Hunter suffered a ruptured Achilles in training on Thursday, damaging Australia’s Billie Jean King Cup campaign and ending her dreams of landing a medal at the Paris Olympics. The 29-year-old, who finished last year as doubles number one and had been in career-best form in singles, suffered the injury while preparing for Australia’s BJK Cup qualifier against Mexico in Brisbane.

“Unfortunately, yesterday in our last practice before the tie, I went down and scans last night confirmed that I have ruptured my Achilles tendon,” she said in an Instagram post on Friday.

“I am devastated and heartbroken, but incredibly grateful to be around the team and I know I have a great group of people around me that will help me get back on the court as soon as possible.”

Australia has not yet selected its tennis team for the July 26 to Aug. 11 Olympics but Hunter’s injury means she will be sidelined for at least four to six months. The winners of this weekend’s eight BJK Cup qualifiers book a place in the finals alongside hosts Spain, champions Canada, Italy and the Czech Republic.

World Athletics’ (WA) decision to give prize money to Olympic gold medallists is unfair to other sports that cannot afford to do the same, Britain’s five-times Olympic rowing champion Steve Redgrave said.

Athletics became the first sport to offer prize money to Olympic champions when WA President Sebastian Coe announced on Wednesday that gold medallists in Paris this year will each earn $50,000.