Daiya Seto has pulled out of the World Cup in Tokyo as a precaution to fully recover from surgery on his heels, a Japan Swimming Federation source revealed Tuesday.

The 21-year-old Seto, the two-time defending world champion in the men's 400-meter individual medley, had surgery on both of his heels in September and was originally penciled in to return on Wednesday.

Seto, who has already been selected for next summer's Rio de Janeiro Olympics, said he intends to return to action in November at a meet in Tokyo.