Flora Duffy has been forced to withdraw from the final two races of the ITU World Triathlon Series because of a recurring foot injury.

The two-times WTS champion has pulled out of the Montreal event tomorrow and has withdrawn from the Grand Final Gold Coast, Australia, next month.

Duffy has raced through the pain barrier several times this season, including her epic victory in Bermuda in April, which came just weeks after claiming the gold medal at the Commonwealth Games on the Gold Coast.

She also battled through discomfort to win in Yokohama, Japan, in May to put her at the top of the WTS standings before missing Leeds in June because of the tendon problem.

The 30-year-old raced back to compete in Hamburg in July to keep alive her chances of becoming the first woman to win three consecutive World Triathlon Series.

However, she suffered a significant setback to her injury during her tenth-place finish, missing the next race in Edmonton, and has almost had to restart the entire healing process.

In a bid to hasten her recovery, Duffy has received a blood transfusion treatment called Platelet-Rich Plasma Therapy — a substance that promotes healing when injected into damaged tissues. It has been widely used by top athletes such Tiger Woods, Roger Federer, Maria Sharapova and Stephen Curry.

The injury has not interrupted Duffy’s swimming and cycling training and plans to gradually ease into running next month in the hope of competing again in October.

Katie Zaferes, of the United States, is in control of the title race, leading the rankings with 4,170 points.

Vicky Holland, of Britain, is second with 3,579 points and Rachel Klamer, of Netherlands, is third with 3,098 points. Duffy is a further four places behind in seventh on 2,496 points.