Japan's Olympic bronze medalist Kosuke Hagino has been ruled out of the World Championships in Kazan, Russia after slipping on his way to training and fracturing his elbow, Kyodo News reported on Friday.

Hagino, 20, suffered the injury in France where he was preparing for the Kazan meet which starts on July 24. He was flown back to Tokyo where doctors confirmed the extent of his injury.

Hagino won bronze in the 400-meter medley at the 2012 London Olympic Games and was among the favorites to win the event in Russia having taken silver two years ago.

His absence is another blow to the event which will miss Olympic champion Yannick Agnel (illness), Michael Phelps (suspension) and Park Tae-hwan (doping ban) among others.