Former Team USA wrestling bad ass Kurt Angle has hit a major hurdle in his quest to return to the Olympics ... telling TMZ he sustained a major injury that could put an end to his journey.
Angle -- who won a gold medal for heavyweight freestyle wrestling at the '96 games -- just called in to "TMZ Live" and explained, "I injured my hamstring this morning ... it is a tear."
The 43-year-old says the injury occurred during a training session this morning ... and he has an MRI scheduled for tomorrow.
Angle tells us, "I still plan on going [to the Olympics] ... I've been training for a whole year now ... so it all depends on how it heals ... but if this tear is really bad, there's a chance I may not go."