Valerie Adams has acknowledged that she 'isn't ready' to defend her shot put title after withdrawing from this month's World Athletics Championships.

Adams is the reigning world, Olympic and Commonwealth champion, but the New Zealand athlete has revealed that she has not fully recovered from the shoulder and elbow operations that she underwent earlier this year.

On social media, the 30-year-old said: "I'm a realist and know I'm not ready just yet. It's been a challenge since my surgery on my elbow, especially as it has/is taking more time then I thought it would, but that's life and I must roll with the punches."

Adams is one of the most successful athletes in history, having won four world titles, two Olympic gold medals and three Commonwealth crowns during her career.