Team GB decathlete Dan Awde requires knee surgery

Woodford Green resident Dan Awde expressed his heartbreak after finding out he will miss the entire 2013 athletics season through injury.

The decathlete represented Great Britain at the Olympics in London just last week and produced a personal best of 10.71 seconds in the 100 metres – the first event of the 10 spread over two days of competition.

But he was forced to pull out after the second event – the long jump – with a recurrence of a long standing knee injury – patella tendonitis.

And the Woodford Green AC with Essex Ladies athlete received the news from doctors on Wednesday morning that he will require an operation that will keep the double Olympian out for 9-10 months.

On hearing the prognosis, the 24-year-old said: “I have a surgery date for two weeks time and then it will be 9-10 months out, which is massively disappointing.

“I train to compete and how I get through that long lay-off time I don’t know at the moment.”

Awde originally had surgery on the injury in 2010 and, despite that, it has remained an ongoing problem for him.

“I have been looking at the scans over time and trying to manage it as best as possible,” said Awde, who has represented his local club since the age of 17.

“I thought to myself ‘let’s just give this one more try and do this’ but this is the worst it has ever been.

“I knew it wasn’t good as I couldn’t straighten the leg. The first jump was okay, but as soon as I landed on the second one I knew I was in trouble. For the third I could feel it on the run-up and that’s why it was way below my best.

“Looking at this latest scan you can really see it is the worst it has been.”

The Woodford Green resident has already sat down with coach Greg Richards and discussed the next four-year plan.

After the year of rest and recuperation, Awde has targeted either the 400m flat or hurdles the following year before returning to the decathlon in 2015 and believes he has the opportunity to medal at the next Olympics in Rio in 2016.

“Having sat down with my coach we both came up with the same thoughts of the four-year plan and that is pleasing,” he added.

“The first aim is to do the 400m, either flat or hurdles after the year out just to build up the body again.

“After that I feel I will be ready for the decathlon once again in preparation for Rio and I can see myself medalling and pushing the top three or four.

“That is a realistic goal after building up to it in the other major championships.”