Ashia Hansen suffers the injury which puts her out of the Olympics

The triple jumper damaged tendons in her kneecap while trying to make her second jump and will have an operation early next week.

Hansen was expected to have a good chance of winning her first Olympics gold at the Games in Athens in August.

But now she is out for the rest of the season although she says she is determined to return next year.

Hansen was in sixth place in the competition when she collapsed in the sandpit after falling awkwardly as she approached the end of the runway.

She was carried out of the stadium on a stretcher and taken to hospital.

British team-mate Chris Rawlinson said: ""It looked a very bad one. I heard Ashia scream loudly twice and then she appeared to pass out as she went silent.

"It is a terrible thing to happen so close to the Olympics and it is what every athlete dreads."

Men's captain Darren Campbell said: "All our hearts go out to Ashia and what happened to her puts everything into perspective."