Gout Gout: Australian Sprinting Sensation Shines

Gout Gout's Historic Sprint

On Friday, Australian teenage sprinting sensation Gout Gout made headlines by recording the fourth-fastest under-18 100m time in history at the All-Schools Athletics Championships in Queensland. Clocking in at an impressive 10.04 seconds, this extraordinary performance ranks as the fourth-fastest by an Australian sprinter of any age, even though it occurred in the heats with wind assistance, meaning it does not count in official records.

Record-Breaking Context

The fastest documented under-18 100m time remains with US sprinter Erriyon Knighton, who achieved a wind-assisted 9.99 seconds in 2021. Gout's accomplishment now positions him among elite company, as his compatriot Jelani Watkins and Thai sprinter Puripol Boonson hold the second and third fastest times respectively, both having clocked times of 10.02 seconds in 2021 and 2023.

In the final, the conditions shifted, allowing Gout to run a legal time of 10.17 seconds, marking the sixth-fastest legal under-18 performance to date. This impressive achievement surpassed his previous personal best of 10.29 seconds and broke the long-standing Australian under-18 record of 10.27 seconds held by Sebastian Sultana. Gout expressed his determination after the race, stating, "I’ve been chasing this national record for a while now! In the heat, I thought I got it, but it was a crazy tailwind, so I just did the same thing and got the job done," as reported by Athletics Australia.

The Rise of a Sprinting Star

Gout first burst onto the sprinting scene in 2022 when he ran the 100m in 10.57 seconds at just 14 years of age. Over the last two years, he has drawn comparisons to sprinting great Usain Bolt, especially after making headlines in August with a 20.60 seconds in the 200m at the 2024 World Athletics U20 Championships—a timing that is 0.01 seconds faster than what a 15-year-old Bolt managed back in 2002.

Future Ambitions

Looking ahead, Gout Gout will compete in the 200m event on Saturday, also in Queensland. With the recent acquisition of an Adidas sponsorship deal and mounting expectations for his future in athletics, he is quickly mingling with sprinting royalty. Gout disclosed, "In January, I’m going overseas to train with Noah Lyles and his coach Lance Brauman. Hopefully, we can qualify for the Tokyo World Championships; if not, I’ll just finish my school in Year 12."

Gout’s recent performances place him in a tantalizing position ahead of major international competitions, and the world will be watching closely as this young sprinter continues to chase his dreams on the track.