Australia's champion race walker Jared Tallent has been forced to postpone his long-awaited comeback after stubbing his toe on a bedpost.
After almost two years out of competition, the former Olympic champion was to have returned to racing in the 50km national championship on Sunday in Melbourne.
But Tallent stubbed a toe on at his Adelaide home on Friday morning and pulled out of the race.
The mishap continues a wretched stretch for the four-time Olympic medallist, who won 50km gold at the 2012 London Games and silver in the event at the 2016 Rio Games.
Tallent was forced out of this year's Gold Coast Commonwealth Games because of an injury to his left hamstring.
And he was sidelined all of last year by a right hamstring injury which ruled him out of the world championships.
Australia's head athletics coach Craig Hilliard described Tallent's latest injury as "one of those crazy, silly mishaps".
"He stubbed it ... on the end of the bed. He was walking out and bang," Hilliard told AAP on Sunday.
"He saw the doctor in Adelaide before he came over (to Melbourne). The doc was pretty confident that it wasn't broken, just badly bruised, probably a bit of ligament damage."
Tallent had planned to contest about 30km of the 50km race in Melbourne as build-up to returning to international competition, most likely in a 50km race in Slovakia next March.
"We will just have to wait," Hilliard said.
"He will get over it, it won't take too long ... he was more annoyed at himself.
"It's a small setback, a frustrating setback ... hopefully the tide will turn for him."
Tallent expects to compete in the Australian 20km walking championship in Adelaide next February before heading overseas.
His wife and coach, Claire Tallent, won Sunday's inaugural 50km women's championship at the Fawkner Park course in South Yarra.
Claire Tallent won from Kelly Ruddick while the men's 50km race was won by Brazilian Caio Bonfim.
