Molly Caudery out for the season amid emergency spinal surgery
The 26-year-old world indoor champion from Truro experienced a severe back pain "flare-up"
Molly Caudery, the British record holder for women's pole vault, has undergone emergency spinal surgery and will not compete for the remainder of the season.
The 26-year-old world indoor champion from Truro experienced a severe back pain "flare-up" last week, prompting immediate medical intervention.
She required a microdiscectomy, a procedure aimed at removing part of a spinal disc to alleviate pain and prevent further damage.
Due to her surgery and subsequent recovery, Caudery will miss significant competitions, including the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow and the European Championships in Birmingham this summer.
The athlete had recently demonstrated promising form by winning the Diamond League meeting in Rome with a season's best vault of 4.80m.
Molly Caudery shared the news on Instagram, expressing her disappointment: “Emergency spinal surgery (microdisectomy) wasn’t on my 2026 bingo card…
"And just like that, my season is over - absolutely heartbroken to even be writing this, missing out on yet another year of major champs & home games.
"For context I had a back flare up last week that got worse quickly and immediate surgical intervention was needed to prevent any further damage.
"The surgery was a success & my road to recovery starts today!!
"Really thought 2026 was going to be my year after heartbreak in Paris & Tokyo & everything in between but just wanted to add another chapter in the autobiography before the comeback."