Olympics-bound triathlete Aaron Royle is out of the Noosa Triathlon and a rich Bahamas invitational race because of a calf muscle tear.
Royle was the favourite for his third-straight Noosa title this weekend.
He will take about four weeks off, meaning Royle also will not race at next month's Island House invitational triathlon in the Bahamas.
Royle earned a start at the Nassau race because he made the top 10 of the world triathlon series.
He also scored automatic Olympics selection by finishing sixth two months ago at the Rio test event.
Royle knew he was in trouble during the run leg of last Sunday's Nepean triathlon, which he also won for the third year in a row.
He had pulled up sore from a track session a week ago.
"At the six kilometre mark, I felt my calf twinge and, over the next four kilometres, it progressively became tighter," he said.
A MRI scan showed Royle has a tear in the medial junction of the gastrocnemius muscle in his left calf.
"Further damage could see me sidelined for three to four months so that was it - season over," the 25-year-old said.
"I am extremely disappointed that I am going to have to withdraw from Noosa Triathlon and not to have the opportunity to try and defend my title for the third year running.
"And I was so excited to get the invitation to race against the best-of-the-best in the Bahamas and I have already requested an invitation for next year."
Meanwhile, Australian Luke Bell and Swiss Caroline Steffen will try to put their Hawaiian Ironman disappointments behind them quickly on November 8 when they race at WA's 70.3 Mandurah half-ironman race.
The race will be four weeks since Bell needed three litres of IV fluid after he overheated on the bike in Hawaii.
Steffen also paid for a build-up interrupted by illness when she finished 10th after several years of top-five finishes at Kona.
The Mandurah field will also feature NZ star Terrenzo Bozzone and top Dutch triathlete Yvonne Van Vlerken.
She overtook Steffen in the finishing straight for second place in March at Melbourne's Ironman Asia-Pacific triathlon.
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