Image: Supplied.

Australian teenager Liam Owens suffered a broken shoulder in the MXGP of Italy, the in-form EMX250 contender now scheduled to undergo surgery after recording multiple podiums in recent races.

Cat Moto Bauerschmidt KTM rider Owens, 18, has been building into form throughout the 2026 season to date, finishing second in the opening moto at Montevarchi before being injured in the second outing.

With moto podium scores on five occasions already in 2026 – including 3-2 results at Latvia earlier this month – Owens continues to establish himself as one of the brightest young prospects on the European circuit in what is his third full season of EMX.

“Broken shoulder in three places to end my weekend,” Owens confirmed. “Qualified P2 and finished race one in P2. We were looking strong for back-to-back podiums, until I collided with another rider in the air and hit the ground harder than I ever have in my career.

“I won’t lie, I’m super-bummed. Feels like every time I get back on my feet I get knocked down again, but that just all adds to the story, right? Get knocked down seven times, get up eight.

“Recovery is looking like 5–6 weeks based on X-rays, with more scans coming this week to check for any extra damage. Not the news I wanted, but this isn’t the end. I always find a way – I’ll be back. Big thanks to my team for looking after me yesterday and everyone for the nice messages.”

Despite missing points on Sunday, Owens is positioned sixth in the standings following seven rounds. Portugal will host the EMX250 category this weekend, before taking the month of July off and resuming at the MXGP of Flanders on August 2.