Molly Cowdery underwent emergency spine surgery and is out for the season

British pole vault record holder Molly Cowdery has been ruled out for the rest of the season after undergoing emergency spinal surgery.

The 26-year-old world indoor champion required a microdiscectomy – a procedure to remove part of a spinal disc – after experiencing a “flare-up” last week.

He will miss the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow and the European Championships in Birmingham this summer.

Cowdery last week Won the Diamond League meeting A season’s best of 4.80m in Rome.

“And just like that, my season is over. Absolutely heartbreaking to even write this, missing another major championship and home game,” he wrote on Instagram.

“Emergency spine surgery was not on my 2026 bingo card.”

Caudery won a Commonwealth silver medal in 2022 and European bronze in 2024.

He failed to clear his opening height at the 2024 Olympics in Paris and missed last year’s world championships in Tokyo after injuring an ankle in the warm-up.

“Last week I had a back flare up that quickly worsened and required immediate surgical intervention to prevent further damage,” Cowdery said.

“The surgery was a success and my road to recovery begins today.

“Really thought 2026 was going to be my year after the heartbreak in Paris and Tokyo and everything in between, but wanted to add one more chapter to the autobiography before the comeback.”