Olympic champion Matty Lee will miss this summer’s Paris Games after having surgery on his spine.
Lee won gold in the men’s synchronised 10m platform at Tokyo 2020 alongside British team-mate Tom Daley.
The 26-year-old said this season had been “really tough” as he struggled with a back injury.
“A week ago today I went under for a discectomy on my L5/S1 disc in my spine,” the diver posted on Instagram, external on Wednesday.
Leeds-born Lee added: “The surgery went well but my surgeon told me my nerve was very stuck and it took longer than expected to remove my bulging disc without damaging my nerve.
“He also told me it wouldn’t have got better on its own so to have the surgery was the right decision.
“What this means for me this year is self-explanatory which is very sad but the reason I look so happy in hospital is that I’m no longer in chronic pain, we’ve found a solution and I have something to work on.
“This season so far has been really tough, felt like I’ve been dragging myself through the dirt. In a weird way I’ve been put out [of] my misery but it’s also forced me to look after myself and that’s what’s important.”
Lee has partnered with Noah Williams in recent years, winning Commonwealth gold and World Aquatics Championships silver together in 2022.
Daley and Williams will be among the favourites to win Olympic gold in the men’s synchronised 10m platform in Paris, having claimed silver at February’s World Championships.
