Gout Gout to miss World Athletics Under-20 Championships, sprinter ruled out for rest of season with hamstring injury
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Published 09/07/2026 at 17:59 GMT+1
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Australian sprint sensation Gout Gout has been forced to withdraw from next month's World Athletics U20 Championships - and the rest of the season - after suffering a serious hamstring injury in training, sidelining one of track and field's most exciting young talents until 2027.
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The 18-year-old confirmed on Instagram that an MRI scan had revealed a grade-three tear to his left hamstring after he was injured during a session in Brisbane.
It rules him out of the championships in Eugene, Oregon, where he had been expected to challenge for gold in the 200m and feature in Australia's 4x400m relay squad.
"Unfortunately I suffered an injury to my left hamstring last night at training in Brisbane," Gout wrote.
"I received the MRI report this morning. Unfortunately, the news is not good, and I will not be able to compete in Eugene at the World U20 Championships next month."
The setback comes at a frustrating time for a teenager who has taken the athletics world by storm over the past two years.
Earlier this year, Gout produced a stunning performance at the Australian Athletics Championships in Sydney, clocking a world under-20 200m record of 19.67s.
The run erased Erriyon Knighton's previous ratified junior mark of 19.69, set at the 2022 USATF Outdoor Championships in Eugene, and also saw Gout surpass the time Usain Bolt managed at the same age.
Bolt's own teenage exploits generated global headlines after he won the world junior 200m title on home soil in 2002 before recording 19.93 at the 2004 Carifta Games in Bermuda.
Gout's latest achievement placed him alongside the sport's greatest emerging talents and further heightened expectations around his future.
The Australian has enjoyed a remarkable rise since breaking a national long-standing open record as a 16-year-old in 2024, when he ran 20.06s over 200m.
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He has since continued his development on the international stage, training alongside Olympic champion Noah Lyles and making his senior global championships debut in Tokyo, where he progressed through the 200m heats before missing out on a place in the final.
Having chosen to skip the Commonwealth Games - taking place between July 23 and August 2, live on TNT Sports and HBO Max - to focus on the World U20 Championships, Gout must now turn his attention towards rehabilitation and recovery.
"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," he added.
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"I'm very disappointed, but I have no other possibility but to accept this situation. I understand this is part of athletics."
As reported by the BBC, "A grade-three tear is a complete rupture of the muscle or tendon, with the injury taking three to six months or longer to fully heal."
Athletics Australia has offered its full support throughout Gout's recovery, emphasising the importance of allowing him the necessary time to return to competition.
"Gout has had a phenomenal couple of years, and has a long and exciting athletics career ahead of him," the organisation said in a statement.
"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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