Australian sprint sensation Gout Gout has abruptly left the US and is on way home, pulling out of Prefontaine Classic in Eugene, Oregon.
Gout was set to run in the famous track and field meet on July 4, but is now suffering from back stiffness after a gruelling overseas schedule.
Although the 18-year-old has decided not to compete in the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow (starting on July 23), he does have his sights set on the world juniors on August 5.
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While Gout’s manager James Templeton attempted to hose down the latest setback, he admitted Gout had been training at “less than full capacity” for some weeks now.
“Unfortunately Gout has had to withdraw from running in Prefontaine on 4 July,” Templeton said.
“Since a trip to Florida at the end of April he has had some stiffness with his back. (It’s) not a major injury but there have been too many weeks of training at less than full capacity.
“Ostrava last Tuesday was a good run however he’s pulled up a bit stiff.
“He’s returning to Brisbane for a bit of treatment and to prepare for World U20s in Eugene, early August.“
Gout has delivered a mixed bag while competing overseas against famous senior runners.
Just last week he put in a strong performance behind Olympic 100m champion Noah Lyles in a rare 150m race at the Golden Spike meet in Ostrava.
The friendly rivals took on the unusual distance, with Lyles clocking a world-best 14.67 seconds to win from South Africa’s Sinesipho Dambile (14.78).
Gout trailed behind to finish a comfortable third in 14.96 — setting another world under-20 mark in the process.
However, in his Diamond League debut in Oslo before that race, Gout finished in sixth place in the 200m, prompting Olympic 200m gold medallist Letsile Tebogo to suggest the Aussie should go back to juniors.
In the Prefontaine, Gout was set to resume hostilities with Tebogo as well as other world-class sprinters.
– With AAP
