Sam Ruthe’s progress towards selection for the upcoming Commonwealth Games has hit a hurdle, with the teenage running sensation revealing he’s picked up a stress fracture in his leg.
The 16-year-old Kiwi shared the update on the running app Strava, explaining the injury occurred during a rest week and “wasn’t a running-related injury”.
He added he will be “off the radar for a bit while it heals”.
It remains unclear how long Ruthe will be sidelined.
His father, Ben Ruthe, told Newstalk ZB that they will meet with doctors, physiotherapists, and coach Craig Kirkwood early next week to determine the next steps.
Any time out would be a significant blow, with the Commonwealth Games less than three months away, beginning on July 23.
The Glasgow event was not initially on Ruthe’s radar this year but quickly became a realistic goal after he ran the fastest mile ever by a New Zealander.
He clocked 3m 48.88s at the John Thomas Terrier Classic indoor meet at Boston University.
That performance comfortably surpassed the A-standard qualifying mark of 3m 50.40s and provided the first of two results required for nomination to the New Zealand Olympic Committee (NZOC). He secured the second with a B-standard time two weeks later in North Carolina.
However, meeting the standards does not guarantee selection. Ruthe must still be nominated by Athletics New Zealand for one of its 18 allocated quota spots, with the final decision resting with the NZOC.
Nominations close on May 20, and the full athletics team will be announced by June 15.
The Commonwealth Games in Glasgow run from July 23 to August 2.
Selection would see Ruthe follow in the footsteps of his grandmother, Rosemary Wright, who won gold in the 800m for Scotland at the 1970 Games.
Last month, Ruthe was also named in a 12-strong New Zealand team for the World Under-20 Championships, scheduled to take place in Oregon a week after the Commonwealth Games.