Sam Ruthe withdraws from Commonwealth Games consideration due to stress fracture
Sam Ruthe has ruled out competing at this year's Commonwealth Games in Glasgow. Photo / Photosport
Kiwi running phenomenon Sam Ruthe has pulled the plug on competing at the upcoming Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.
Ruthe was set to be in consideration for one of the 18 allocated athletics spots after meeting the selection criteria earlier this year, but a stress fracture to his lower leg playing football last month has put a halt to those aspirations.
Instead, the 17-year-old will focus on being fit for the Under-20 athletics championships in the United States in early August, which are due to take place in Oregon five days after the Commonwealth Games.
The Tauranga teen had planned to compete in both pinnacle events, but speaking on his YouTube channel, he said he did not want to be underdone going to Scotland.
“I came to the conclusion that by the time the Commonwealth Games [comes] around I probably wouldn’t be in my best form,” Ruthe said.
“For me, it’s really important turning up to a race and being in the best form because then mentally I’m there. It’s so much more satisfying turning up to a race knowing that you’re in good enough form to actually compete.”
No decisions were made at the time of Ruthe’s injury on his availability for the upcoming events or a time frame on a possible return to the track.
Competing at the Commonwealth Games was not on the agenda for Ruthe heading into 2026; however, everything changed in late January when he ran the fastest mile by a New Zealander, beating the record Sir John Walker set in Oslo in 1982.
Ruthe’s time of 3m 48.88s at the John Thomas Terrier Classic indoor meet at Boston University met the A performance standard set by Athletics New Zealand to be considered for the Commonwealth Games.
He then beat the B standard time two weeks later, which meant he could be nominated for one of Athletics New Zealand’s allocated 18 quota spots, although the final decision rests with the New Zealand Olympic Committee.
Ruthe’s coach Craig Kirkwood said going back to their original position at the start of the year made sense.
“Let’s make World Juniors the focus again and not push for a Commonwealth Games that might not be as successful as we would have liked and to be an experience that wasn’t up to the standard we were looking for,” Kirkwood said.
“We’re safer doing that rather than trying to push to get a performance at a level that we would deem acceptable and be happy with at the Comm Games, and that’s really kind of what it really boiled down to.
“We also want to make sure that when you do represent New Zealand at such a pinnacle event that you do it to the best of your ability and we’re not going in there undercooked. I think if we pushed for this year we would probably find that you’d be underdone.
“You wouldn’t want to be standing on that start line not ready, it would not be a great experience.”
It has been an incredible 12 months for Ruthe who holds every U20 New Zealand middle distance record between 800m and 5000m.
New Zealand nominations for the Commonwealth Games closed on May 20 and the full athletics team will be announced in mid-June.
The games start in Glasgow on July 23.
Ben Francis is an Auckland-based reporter for the New Zealand Herald who covers breaking sports news.