“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,” said Gout afterwards, per Athletics Australia.
Gout broke onto the scene in 2022 when he ran the 100m in 10.57s as a 14-year-old. The last two years have seen the Australian, who turns 17 in late December, draw comparisons to sprinting great Usain Bolt.
Gout Gout has drawn comparisons to a young Usain Bolt. Cameron Spencer/Getty Images
He garnered even further attention in August when he clocked in at 20.60s in the 200m at the 2024 World Athletics U20 Championships – 0.01 seconds faster than a 15-year-old Bolt managed in 2002, the record at the time. Gout will run in the 200m event on Saturday in Queensland.
With an Adidas sponsorship deal secured and high hopes for what he could go on to achieve, Gout is already mixing with sprinting royalty.
“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,” he said after Friday’s final. “If not, I’ll just finish my school in Year 12.”
