Newly crowned men's 200-meter butterfly world champion Tomoru Honda will sit out the remainder of the World Aquatics Championships in Doha to rest his injured ankle, the Japan Swimming Federation said Thursday.
The announcement came a day after the Tokyo Olympics silver medalist became the first Japanese swimmer to win the 200 butterfly world title.
The 22-year-old, who is still dealing with pain after spraining his left ankle on Feb. 5, decided to withdraw from the 100 butterfly and 400 individual medley as a precaution ahead of the Japanese Olympic trials next month.
In other action from Doha, Daiya Seto finished fourth in the men's 200 individual medley won by Canada's Finlay Knox.
Seto swam 1 minute, 57.54 seconds to finish 0.90 outside the winning time and 0.12 behind bronze medalist Alberto Razzetti of Italy. American Carson Foster took silver.
"I didn't have the speed," Seto said. "I still wasn't swimming comfortably the first 100. I haven't been practicing for the 200, so the body movement wasn't there."