Athletics: Injury forces Gill home

Jacko Gill is in next week's world under-18 champs. Photo / Getty Images

A finger injury has forced New Zealand teenaged shot put champion Jacko Gill to curtail plans to compete at a Diamond League track and field meeting in Sweden later this month.

The 16-year-old Gill, who set a new world record en route to winning the world youth championships in Lille, France earlier this month, will not line up in Stockholm on July 29 after returning home from Europe yesterday to rest a fractured bone in his right throwing hand.

The Aucklander, coached by Didier Poppe, told Television New Zealand he had opted not to continue his planned campaign to prevent further damage to his middle finger with his sights set on a medal at the Olympics next year. He aims to return to competition in October.

Gill, who is also world junior shot put champion, suffered the injury in training ahead of the under-18 world championships but still managed to throw 24.35 metres and beat the previous record of 23.86m by nearly half a metre and his nearest competitor by a staggering four metres.

He said the ailment prevented him from performing at his best and cut between one to two metres from the distance he felt he was capable of achieving.

Gill became only the second man, emulating the feat of the fastest person in the world over 100m and 200m, Jamaica's Usain Bolt, to win the under-20 title before landing the youth crown.

- NZPA