Sydney: Gout Gout, a teenage sprinter from Australia, has captured the attention of fans and sports analysts globally with his remarkable speed on the track. At just 17 years old, Gout competes in the 60m, 100m, 200m, and 400m events, setting impressive records at the youth level.
According to BBC, Gout has broken Australian under-16 records in both the 100m and 200m. As a 14-year-old, he ran the 100m in 10.57 seconds and clocked 20.87 seconds in the 200m at age 15. In 2024, he claimed the Australian under-20 100m title with a time of 10.48 seconds and won a silver medal in the 200m at the World Under-20 Championships in Lima. His achievements continued at the 2024 GPS Track and Field Championships in Queensland, where he secured victories in the 200m and 400m events.
Following these successes, Gout turned professional and inked a sponsorship deal with Adidas. He shattered the Australian under-18 record, posting the fifth-fastest time of any age group in the country’s history. Notably, Gout became only the second person to surpass Usain Bolt’s time in the under-18 200m category.
In late 2024, Usain Bolt himself acknowledged Gout’s talent, commenting on Instagram that Gout “looks like young me”. Gout appreciates the comparison but is determined to establish his own identity in the sport. “I’m just me trying to be me,” Gout told Nine. “Being compared to Usain Bolt feels great but I would like to put my personality in the upcoming story.”
Gout’s breaking of Peter Norman’s 56-year record in the 200m with a time of 20.06 seconds last December also drew praise from Norman’s family, who described Gout as “a star”. Norman’s daughters expressed that their father would have loved to witness Gout’s achievement.
Looking ahead, Gout is set to make his international senior debut at the Golden Spike meet in Ostrava, a gold-level event on the World Athletics Continental Tour. He aims to prepare for the World Athletics Championships, scheduled for September in Tokyo, by competing in the Monaco Diamond League meet on July 11.
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