Clément Ducos was hoping to erase the disappointment of falling just short at the Paris Olympics. The French hurdler finished fourth in the 400m hurdles final, but the months that followed brought fresh challenges as hamstring and ankle issues limited his racing in 2025. Coming into 2026, Ducos was determined to put that difficult period behind him, with the European Championships becoming a major target. However, his plans were cut short when an infection left him unable to compete.

On August 4, the French Athletics Federation announced, “Clément Ducos is forced to withdraw from the European Championships in Birmingham,”  which will take place from August 10-16. The decision came after Ducos himself explained his health struggles on Instagram.

“For six weeks, a lung infection, diagnosed way too late, has prevented me from training and has significantly deteriorated my muscle condition,” Ducos wrote. The 25-year-old also thanked his supporters, adding, “I want to thank my sponsor @nike for its unwavering support and loyalty, as well as the whole new team of @ffathletisme, who are working to restore the coat of arms of our beautiful French team.”

Before the event, Jean Galfione, manager of the LA 2028 project, explained that the hurdler had been struggling for months. “He’s been dealing with this for quite a few months,” Galfione said. “He didn’t know what it was. He was weakened, tired, and then they finally figured it out.”

Galfione added that Ducos was improving but still needed time to fully recover. “He’s nearing the end of his recovery, but he’s not yet at 100%; he could even fall into a cycle of fatigue even though he’s just coming out of one.” Ducos’ withdrawal came after he was also absent from the 2026 French Athletics Championships in Albi, held from July 24-26.

But Ducos’ 2026 campaign was far from smooth prior to the European Championship pullout. The Frenchman competed just once outdoors this season in the United States, finishing fifth in the 400m hurdles behind Nigeria’s Ezekiel Nathaniel. 

Interestingly, Ducos is not the only athlete who has withdrawn from the European Athletics Championships after the final entries were released.

Late withdrawals continue as several athletes miss Birmingham Championships

Filippo Tortu and Marta Zenoni have also been forced to withdraw from the European Athletics Championships after failing to fully recover from their respective injury setbacks. Tortu, who was selected for Italy’s relay squad, will now shift his focus to the Mediterranean Games in Taranto, where he will serve as flag bearer alongside Irma Testa.

Tortu announced his decision after the sprint training camp in Rome, explaining that the muscle strain he suffered during training had not fully healed. Despite following a rehabilitation program under the supervision of the Italian team’s medical staff, the Olympic champion did not feel ready to compete at his best in Birmingham. “This is a difficult and important decision, but my current condition would not have allowed me to compete at my best…”

Zenoni was also among the Italian athletes who withdrew after struggling to recover fully from her injury. Her absence leaves a change in Italy’s women’s 1500m plans for Birmingham.

Great Britain also suffered a setback in its relay plans, with Sam Reardon withdrawn from the men’s 4x400m relay squad. His absence means the British team will need to make adjustments ahead of the championships.

In the decathlon, Netherlands’ Sven Roosen was another athlete removed from the final entry list, taking another strong competitor out of the event. Germany’s Yannick Wolf was also listed among the withdrawals, leaving changes to the men’s 100m field.

The growing list of withdrawals adds another challenge for the Birmingham championships, with several athletes missing the event after the final entries were confirmed.