Flora Duffy has ruled herself out of Daman World Triathlon Abu Dhabi as she does not feel “100 per cent ready to go” for the season opener next weekend.

Duffy, who missed four races last season because of a foot injury, posted on Instagram yesterday, saying she wanted to make sure she was fully fit for MS Amlin World Triathlon Bermuda next month.

“Sadly no @wtsabudhabi for me,” she wrote. “Training is going well and seeing lots of progress but I am just not quite ready to race yet.

“Need a few more layers of consistency. Have to make sure I am 100% ready to go before I am back on the blue carpet. Hard call to make but hopefully the best for the long term. Now I have extra #mondaymotivation for @worldtriathlonbermuda!”

Duffy’s injury put paid to her hopes of becoming the first woman to win three consecutive world titles last season.

The 30-year-old raced through the pain barrier several times, including her epic victory in Bermuda last April, which came just weeks after claiming the gold medal at the Commonwealth Games on Australia’s Gold Coast.

She also battled through pain to win in Yokohama, Japan, a month later to put her at the top of the WTS standings before missing Leeds because of the tendon problem.

Duffy raced back to compete in Hamburg, but suffered a significant setback to her injury during her tenth-place finish, missing the remaining three races of the season, including the Grand Final Gold Coast.

In a bid to hasten her recovery, Duffy 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 as Tiger Woods, Roger Federer and Maria Sharapova.

The MS Amlin World Triathlon is the second of three annual WTS events that Bermuda will host. In 2021, the island will be home to the ITU Grand Final and Age Group World Championships.