Derek Drouin is taking a year off.
The Corunna native and Olympic Gold Medalist tweeted Monday afternoon that he was dealing with unusual and confusing symptoms during the preseason.
The high-jumper says he and his medical team feel it's in his best interest to take the 2018 season off from competition to rest and come back next year.
After a preseason spent dealing with unusual and confusing symptoms my medical team and I have decided that it’s in my best interest to take the 2018 season off from competition. I am optimistic that with rest and continued medical support I will return next year ready to compete
— Derek Drouin (@ddrouin10) June 25, 2018
Drouin made it to the top of the podium at the Rio Olympic's in 2016 with a season-best jump of 2.38 m (7.8 ft).
The 28-year-old is the first Canadian to win an Olympic gold in high jump since Duncan McNaughton in 1932.
After jumping to gold in 2016, he revealed he'd competed with a double stress fracture in his spine.
Drouin's impressive resume includes first-place finishes at the Commonwealth Games, Pan AM Games, and World Championships, as well as bronze at the 2012 London Olympics.
