German star Fabian Hambuechen will miss May's European Championships as he prepares for his third Olympic Games, the German Gymnastics Federation announced today.
Hambuechen, who won bronze on high bar at the 2008 Olympics, is known as one of the best in the world on that event, where he was 2007 World Champion and runner-up in the all-around. But the past couple years have put a strain on the 24-year-old, who almost singlehandedly brought German gymnastics back to prominence on the European scene during the 2004-2008 quad.
A sore Achilles tendon limited his abilities in 2010, and the tendon ruptured in January 2011, forcing him to sit out of competition for more than six months. He made a convincing return at the 2011 World Championships, however, competing watered down routines on floor and vault in the all-around and finishing fourth on high bar.
Citing exhaustion, Hambuechen withdrew from the German Bundesliga league final in November and said he was worried about maintaining top form for four months if he were to compete at the European Championships May 9-13 in Montpellier, France. His Achilles is still not quite back to normal, he added.
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