WEST FIFE track star Owen Miller will miss out on the chance to defend his Paralympic Games title after injury hit his hopes of selection.

The 32-year-old, who memorably won T20 1500 metres gold in the delayed Tokyo Games three years ago, was not amongst the final list of names for the Great Britain and Northern Ireland squad released by Paralympics GB last Thursday.

Fife AC member Owen, a former Woodmill High School pupil, picked up an injury earlier this year at a training camp ahead of the World Para Athletics Championships.

The problem, which his coach Steve Doig, described as "like an adductor issue, on the inside of the thigh", forced him to pull out of that event, held in Kobe, Japan, after being named in the GB squad.

He will now miss the Paris Paralympics, which will take place from August 28 to September 8, after failing to recover from the injury to have a chance of pushing for selection.

Steve, who wished to express his thanks to the Scottish Institute of Sport, Scottish Athletics and British Athletics for their medical support, explained: "Things have slowed down a bit, so we're taking our time.

"There was a bit of a rush, because he had to try and run at Diamond League (the London Athletics Meet on July 20), if he was going to be picked, so there was a slight 'hurry up' I suppose.

"But, to be honest, we called it maybe a couple of weeks before because he wasn't able to run properly. He actually had another scan and it's slightly worse than it was before.

"There's a plan in place now for just taking his time, and doing a little bit of training, without any stress.

"He's able to look towards next year. There is the World Championships, although the date and venue hasn't been announced. I think it's going to be later in the year so, actually, in some respects, the later the better, because it gives him as much time as possible."

Owen's Fife AC team-mate Ben Sandilands, who is also part of a training group Steve coaches at Pitreavie Athletics Centre, is in the Team GB squad for his first Paralympics.

The 20-year-old, who in 2023 won gold in the T20 1500m at the World Para Athletics Championships in Paris, is one of 33 para athletes who will compete at the Games.