JOEL Bee has ruled himself out of the Glasgow Commonwealth Games.
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Bee confirmed on Friday that persistent tendinitis in his right hamstring had forced his withdrawal.
Australian Commonwealth Games Association ratified Bee’s selection as a 4x100 relay team member on Thursday in the announcement of a 103-strong track and field team despite him being sidelined with the injury.
While delighted to be named, Bee had already all but given up hope of getting to Glasgow.
Bee, who has shifted his training base from Ballarat to Melbourne under the guidance of Olympian Josh Ross, said a short training session after a visit to physiotherapist confirmed what he already knew, that Glasgow was off the agenda.
“I warmed up, did three run-throughs and that was it. I couldn’t do it.
“I felt a sharp pain.”
This is the second major international event he has had to miss in the past month because of the injury.
He also withdrew from the world relay championships in the Bahamas late last month.
Although disappointed, Bee is upbeat about his future.
“I’m only 21.
“I’ve got a lot to look forward to,” he said.
Next year’s World Athletics Championships in Beijing and the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympic Games are immediate goals.
Bee said the hamstring first began to give him trouble at the Sydney Track Classic in mid-March, but he did not think too much of it at the time.
He went to the Melbourne World Challenge a week later and then the nationals in Melbourne in early April in a bid to run a Commonwealth Games qualifying time.
That was his last run on the Athletics Australia circuit before the Stawell Gift, where as the backmarker he reached the Gift semi-finals.
Bee said he had no regrets about running on after the initial trouble.
Bee said selection in the Australian teams for the Bahamas and Glasgow reinforced he was on the right track and had reason to be upbeat about his future.
david.brehaut@fairfaxmedia.com.au