Luckless Jana Rawlinson has been struck down again by her Olympic curse, with the two-time 400m hurdles world champion pulling out of the Beijing Games with a toe injury.

The Australian had finally returned to competition last week, five months after undergoing surgery to the second toe on her right foot.

Rawlinson, 25, finished second at the low-key meet in Poland in a sluggish time of 55.94 seconds.

But the writing was on the wall when she was unable to resume training after the race in Poland.

Rawlinson and 50km walker Nathan Deakes - who is also battling a longstanding hamstring injury - were considered Australia's best two track and field gold medal hopes in Beijing.

The latest setback comes four years after her Athens Olympic campaign was cruelled by a knee injury suffered two weeks before the 2004 Games - when she was also the hot gold medal favourite.

On that occasion, Rawlinson made a remarkable recovery and finished fifth in the Olympic final behind Greek hurdler Fani Halkia.

This time, she and her coach and husband Chris Rawlinson decided that the only decision was to pull out now.

Complications with the toe injury have also caused problems in her back, calf and Achilles tendon.

"I've tried everything medically possible to make myself ready for the Games but unfortunately with the culmination of injuries that I've had over the past six months it became apparent to me that I wouldn't be able to compete in the Games," Rawlinson said from her training base in Loughborough, England.

"I'm very upset because the Olympic Games has always been a dream of mine, but I'm trying to remain positive and I'm looking beyond the Olympics to other challenges.

"I haven't been able to train for more than two days straight over the past 26 weeks, so I'm not arrogant enough to think that on the basis I'd be able to compete at the Olympics.

"I can't remember the last time I was able to wake up in the morning first thing and walk to the bathroom without being in pain."

The field for the women's 400m hurdles in Beijing appears weak, with world record holder Yuliya Pechonkina of Russia (heart problems) almost certain to be absent.

Americans Lashinda Demus and Christine Spence, ranked No.1 and No.3 in the world this year, also failed to qualify after finishing outside the top three at last week's cut-throat US trials.

Rawlinson won a famous victory at last year's world championships in Osaka, eight months after giving birth to her son Cornelis.

After taking a break to get the toe injury right, she will shift her attention to next year's world championships in Berlin, where she could become the first Australian to win three world track and field titles.

The 2012 London Olympics also remain firmly on the agenda.

"I love my sport too much to end on this note so I can definitely say that I will be setting my sights on the next goal which will hopefully be the world championships next year," she said.

She won the 2003 and 2007 world championships, but was forced to miss the 2005 titles with a stress fracture in her back.

Athletics Australia chief executive Danny Corcoran said he and everyone at AA was shattered by the news of Rawlinson's latest setback.

"All our thoughts at this time are with this young woman who has had her dream shattered... the women who last year took on the world and won the world title eight months after having a baby, and who was looking forward to having a very successful Olympics," he said.

"Our thoughts are only with her at this time.

"It's not about the team, it's not about the Olympic Games, it's the disappointment that she must be feeling."

Rawlinson is expected to front a media conference on her return to Australia in the next few days.