Birmingham Triple jumper Ashia Hansen's injury jinx has struck again with the news the Commonwealth champion will miss this summer's World Championships in Helsinki.
Since securing the Commonwealth and European titles in 2002, Hansen has suffered a succession of horrendous injuries.
The 33-year-old had an operation to remove a bone spur from her heel in 2003 and then snapped her patella tendon on her outdoor comeback at last year's European Cup in Poland.
However, the Birchfield Harrier, who also missed out on the Athens Olympics, has vowed to bounce back from the disappointment of not making Helsinki.
"I've been through this before because I've had so many injuries in my career," said Hansen. "You know the road now and you've got to travel on it to come back.
"I'm still injured for Helsinki with a ruptured tendon, so the World Championships won't be my next goal.
"At the moment I'm rehabbing. I've only just started running, so by June or July I hope to be in full training.
"I didn't find missing out on the Olympic Games in Athens too painful. I knew quite a while before that I wouldn't be going. I had time to get used to it. It will be the same again."
However, Team GB will be forced to do without Hansen until the 2006 Commonwealth Games in Melbourne.
"My next goal is Melbourne and defending my title," added Hansen. "Hopefully my rehabilitation and training will prepare me well for the Melbourne Games and I can avoid any hiccups.
"I don't really feel like one of the old guys - it's good that we've got a lot of youngsters in and around the team."
