Australian pole vault star Alana Boyd has escaped serious injury despite being carried from the arena in a wheelchair after damaging her ankle in the warm-up at the world indoor athletics championships.
There were initial fears that the two-time Commonwealth champion had broken her ankle on day one of the biennial championships in Portland, Oregon, but X-rays revealed Boyd had instead strained the anterior talofibular ligament.
"Although she was very disappointed not to compete, this is the best possible outcome in terms of recovery time," said Australian head coach Craig Hilliard.
Boyd, 31, is unlikely to recover in time to compete at the April 1-3 Olympic selection trials in Sydney.
But even if she is unable to contest the trials, Boyd is assured of a spot on the Australian team for the Rio Games, having bettered the qualifying standard on several occasions, most notably with her Oceania record clearance of 4.77m in Queensland in January.
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In Boyd's absence, American Jenn Suhr won the women's pole vault gold on day one of the world indoors with 4.90m.
Fellow American Sandi Morris claimed silver with 4.80m, Greece's Ekaterini Stefanidi took the bronze with 4.80m and rising young New Zealand star Eliza McCartney was fifth with 4.70m.
Multiple world and Olympic champion Yelena Isinbayeva was a notable absentee at the meet in Portland.
The entire Russian team are currently banned from global competitions after a report from the World Anti-Doping Agency catalogued evidence of systemic doping.
