Irish sprinter Phil Healy revealed that she has withdrawn from the upcoming World Championships to prioritize her recovery and preparation for next year's Olympic Games.
The 28-year-old took to Twitter to announce her decision yesterday, 3 August, saying: "It has been an extremely tough and testing 16 months, where I questioned continuing with the sport many times."
"However, nothing is linear so we battled on and made a lot of progress in terms of the diagnosis, treatment and regulation of my Autoimmune Disease."
Unfortunately I’ve decided to end my season a little earlier than planned. I need to give my body the best chance of recovering as we go into a big year, ahead of another Olympic Games
Another honest and transparent explanation on where things have been for the last few months❤️🩹 pic.twitter.com/rn2LiN7gfo— Phil Healy (@philhealy2) August 3, 2023
Healy was initially slated to compete in the women's 4x400m relay race at the World Championships in Hungary later this month, following the team's qualification by finishing sixth at the European Games in Munich back in 2022.
Ireland's 4x400m relay team of Sophie Becker, Phil Healy, Rhasidat Adeleke and Sharlene Mawdsley smashed the national record to reach the European Championships final #rtesport #Munich2022 pic.twitter.com/p34StWU1Yz
— RTÉ Sport (@RTEsport) August 19, 2022
She also competed in the National Championships at the weekend, finishing fourth in the 400m final.
In her heartfelt message, Healy expressed gratitude to her medical and support team for their assistance during her diagnosis and journey. She also extended her thanks to her coach who has been a constant source of "help, guidance, and support" throughout the challenging times.
"A tough call withdrawing from selection, but right now it's all about recovering mentally and physically and getting my body back to where it needs to be. I'm looking forward to watching all of the Irish team in their respective events at the championships and wish them all the very best of luck."
