Gout Gout pulls out of World U20 Championships
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Reading Time: 3min | Thu. 09.07.26. | 12:25
The 18-year-old announced on Thursday that tore his left hamstring during a training session in Brisbane on Wednesday evening
Australian sprint sensation Gout Gout will miss next month's World Athletics U20 Championships after suffering a serious hamstring injury that has brought his remarkable 2026 campaign to an abrupt end.
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The 18-year-old announced on Instagram on Thursday, 9 July, that he tore his left hamstring during a training session in Brisbane on Wednesday evening, with an MRI confirming an eight-centimeter partial tear of the proximal intramuscular tendon of the long head of the biceps femoris.
Medical assessments classified the injury as a Grade 3C hamstring tear under the British Athletics Muscle Injury Classification (BAMIC), an injury that typically requires several months of rehabilitation. The diagnosis means Gout will not compete in Eugene, where he had been targeting both the 100 meters and 200 meters titles.
"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 wrote.
The teenager admitted the setback was difficult to accept but vowed to focus on recovery.
"I’m very disappointed, but I have no other choice but to accept the situation. 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,” he posted.
The injury is a significant blow for one of athletics' brightest young talents, who had built considerable momentum throughout the season. Gout had even opted to skip Australia's campaign at the Commonwealth Games to fully concentrate on chasing World U20 gold in the United States.
His decision came after a season that established him as one of the fastest junior sprinters in history.
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At the Australian Athletics Championships in April, Gout produced a stunning 19.67 seconds over 200 metres, setting a new World Under 20 record while also breaking the senior Oceanian record. Earlier in February, he opened his campaign with a wind-assisted 10.00 seconds in Brisbane to set a new Australian Under 20 100 metres record.
His rise also extended onto the senior international circuit.
Gout made his Diamond League debut at the Bislett Games in Oslo, where he lined up alongside Olympic champion Letsile Tebogo and finished sixth in the 200 meters in 20.60 seconds.
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He later travelled to Czechia, where he trained with Olympic and world champion Noah Lyles, before finishing third in the 150 meters at the Golden Spike Ostrava. His time of 14.96 seconds established another World Under 20 record, with Lyles winning the race in a world best performance.
Gout had already announced himself on the global stage two years ago by winning silver in the 200 metres at the World Athletics U20 Championships in Peru.