Australian sprint sensation Gout Gout has pulled out of the 2026 World Athletics U20 Championships and will be sidelined for the rest of the year after suffering a serious hamstring tear.
The 18-year-old had set his sights on becoming a 200m under-20 world champion in the US in August as he tries to emulate the men’s 100m and 200m world-record holder, Jamaican Usain Bolt.
But Gout will now be forced to watch the Eugene event from the sidelines after announcing the shock injury news in a social media post.
“Unfortunately I suffered an injury to my left hamstring last night at training in Brisbane,” Gout said on Instagram.
“I received this morning the MRI report, unfortunately the news is not good and I will not be able to compete in Eugene at the World U20 championships next month.”
Gout revealed the significance of the injury and that the scans had shown a grade three tear with more than 8cm of his hamstring affected.
“There is partial disruption of the tendon which involves less than 10% of the cross-sectional area of the tendon but extends over an 8cm length,” he quoted from the scan report.
The teenager broke the under-20 200m world record at the Australian nationals in April with a time of 19.67s which was later formally ratified by World Athletics in the face of mounting scepticism.
Gout took silver behind South Africa’s Bayanda Walaza in the 200m at the World U20 Athletics Championships in 2024 when finishing in 20.60s while running as a 16-year-old.
More recently Gout made his Diamond League debut in Oslo, when he was slow out of the blocks and could only finish sixth in the 200m in June. He also finished third behind training mate Noah Lyles in a rarely contested 150m race last month before returning to Australia to continue training.
“I’m very disappointed but I have no other possibility but to accept the situation,” he said. “I understand 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.”
Messages of support poured in on social media for Gout, while Australian Athletics said the young sprinter 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,” an Australian Athletics spokesperson said.
Australia’s Commonwealth Games campaign won’t be affected by Gout’s injury, as he had decided to focus on the U20 event as he tries to emulate Usain Bolt.
Instead, the sprint team will be headlined by Eddie Nketia, who has posted a series of eye-catching 100m times in the last few months. The 25-year-old will be racing in green and gold for the first time at the Glasgow Games later this month after switching allegiance from New Zealand.
