Australian athletics star Gout Gout will miss the World Under-20 titles in the United States later this year after injuring his hamstring in training in Brisbane.
Gout posted on social media, confirming the injury and saying he was out for the season.
The 18-year-old had been named for the 200m and the 4x400m relay in the Australian team in the championships, which will be held in Eugene, Oregon next month.
“I’m very disappointed but I have no other possibility but to accept the situation,” he posted on Instagram.
“I understand that this is part of athletics. My focus now will be on my rehab in the coming weeks and months and ensuring I come back in 2027 better and stronger and faster.”
Gout has had an excellent year, winning a second straight Australian Under-20 100m title, and smashing his own national men’s 200m record with a time of 19.67 seconds at the Australian Athletics Championships in April.
The world’s athletics media responded to his performance — which is faster than all-time great Usain Bolt was running at a similar age — with a string of praise.
However, Gout was unable to repeat the effort at the Diamond League last month, when he came sixth behind Olympic champion Letsile Tobogo in a time of 20.60.
A week later, Gout and American star Noah Lyle celebrated after a 150m race at the Ostrava Golden Spike event in Czechia as Lyles broke the world record with a time of 14.67.
Gout came third, clocking a personal best time of 14.96, which was also an Australian national record.
In his social media post, Gout included the comments from the MRI indicating the severity of the injury:
“There is a partial thickness tear of the proximal intramuscular tendon of the long head biceps femoris [hamstring].
“There is partial disruption of the tendon which involves less than 10 per cent of the cross-sectional area of the tendon but extends over an 8cm length.
“This represents a grade 3C injury according to the BAMIC,” Gout posted.
A return for the 2027 athletics season for the Australian could include a tilt at the World Athletics Championships, which will be held in Beijing in September next year.
Australian Athletics responded to the news in a statement.
“Australian Athletics sends its support to Gout Gout following his announcement today that a hamstring injury will prevent him from competing in the World Athletics Under 20s Championships in the USA in August,” it said.
“Gout has had a phenomenal couple of years, and has a long and exciting athletics career ahead of him.
“While this will be disappointing for Gout himself as well as his many fans, unfortunately injuries are part of the sport, and it is important that he takes the time to rehabilitate, recover and return to the track to compete when he is ready.”
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