Non Stanford: Achilles injury delays World Triathlon Series return

Non Stanford finished fourth at the 2016 Olympics in Rio

Great Britain's Non Stanford will miss the World Triathlon Series event in Stockholm on 26-27 August with her ongoing Achilles injury.

The 28-year-old had already confirmed she would miss Hamburg, Edmonton and this weekend's round in Montreal.

The Welsh former world champion hopes to return to competition early in September, then compete in the Grand Final in Rotterdam on 16 September.

"Things are taking longer than I anticipated," Stanford said.

"Although I'm making progress, I'm just not ready to put myself on the startline on such a tough course.

"Hopefully I'll be back racing at the British Triathlon Mixed Relay Cup in Nottingham at the start of September, and follow that up a couple of weeks later with the Grand Final in Rotterdam."

Stanford, who won the world title in 2013 and came fourth at the 2016 Rio Olympics, is 28th in the WTS rankings after seven of the season's nine races.

She tore her Achilles tendon in November 2016, missing the opening two rounds before winning the Chengdu Triathlon World Cup on her return in May.

Stanford finished seventh and 11th respectively in the WTS races in Yokohama and Leeds, but withdrew from the European Championships in Switzerland in June because of illness.

"It's been really frustrating," she added. "This year was a great opportunity to come out the year after the Olympics and have a real crack at that world title again.

"So I'm really disappointed that it hasn't gone to plan. I've come up against a lot of difficulties and it's made me sit back and reassess my training and... my whole approach to triathlon and training."

Part of that process has seen Stanford shelve any thoughts of competing in the 10,000m at the 2018 Commonwealth Games on the Gold Coast, instead concentrating solely on the triathlon.

"It was definitely a goal at the start of the season, running on the track at the Commonwealth Games was something I've always wanted to do," she said.

"But with my injury and having a lot of time out this year it's just not going to be possible to get those [qualifying] times."