Injury ends Australian decathlon star Ash Moloney’s Paris 2024 Olympics campaign prematurely

Australian decathlon star and Tokyo 2020 bronze medallist Ash Moloney has pulled out of the Paris 2024 Olympics due to a suspected adductor injury.

The adductors are a group of muscles situated on the inner thighs and run from the pelvic bone to the knee. These muscles allow the hip and leg to move inwards to keep the torso steady.

Moloney broke barriers at Tokyo 2020 when he became the first Aussie to win a medal in decathlon at the Olympics.

The 24-year-old was also one of the prime medal contenders at Paris 2024 and began his campaign on a high by finishing fifth in the 100m race, the first of the 10 events that comprise the decathlon, with a time of 10.56.

Moloney, also a former junior world champion, however, seemed in a spot of bother in the long jump section after his first attempt of 7.05m. He fouled his next attempt and clearly struggled, managing just 2.67 with his third effort.

The Australian attempted to continue but was in clear discomfort during the shot put section of the event, where he finished last among 22 competitors with a best effort of 13.40m.

Moloney decided not to continue and did not start the high jump event.

In Moloney’s absence, Daniel Golubovic is the only Australian left in the men’s decathlon athletics competition at Paris 2024. After four of the 10 events, he is 21st in the leaderboard with 2973 points.