Swimming: Wiegersma out of world champs

Natalie Wiegersma. Photo / Getty Images

Injury has forced Southland swimmer Natalie Wiegersma out of the world championships in China next month.

The 21-year-old has not recovered sufficiently from a niggling shoulder injury and has informed Swimming New Zealand (SNZ) she wishes to withdraw from the team.

Her coach Jeremy Duncan today said Wiegersma had missed too much training and was unable to cope with the heavy training workload required ahead of the championships starting at Shanghai on July 16.

He said she would have compromised her 2012 London Olympic prospects if she continued.

Wiegersma, a former world young champion and World Cup medallist, emerged internationally last year when she finished fifth and seventh in the A Finals of the individual medley at the Pan Pacific championships, where she moved into the top 20 in the world in both events.

She went on to set a national record time in the 200m medley at the New Delhi Commonwealth Games where she finished fourth.

- NZPA