Gout Gout, the Australian sprint prodigy, stormed to victory in the 200 meters at the Australian Athletics Championships in Sydney on Sunday, clocking a world-leading time of 19.67 seconds. The performance not only set a new personal best but also surpassed Usain Bolt’s time at the same age, as the Jamaican legend ran 19.93 in 2004 when he was 18.
Gout Gout, hailed as the present and future of athletics, broke down the barriers of the 20-second barrier officially for the first time. “It takes a huge weight off my shoulders to know that I have achieved this time under sanctioned conditions, that I have the speed and that my body is capable of running these times. I am ready to go even further,” the young sprinter celebrated after the race.
The 18-year-old burst onto the international scene in 2024 when he ran 20.04 seconds, breaking the Australian record of 20.06 set by Peter Norman at the 1968 Olympics. He later improved his national record to 20.02, but had never officially dipped under 20 seconds before this weekend. His latest mark of 19.67 now ranks among the fastest ever for a teenager and signals a bright future for Australian sprinting.
Bolt, who went on to become a legend with eight Olympic gold medals, 11 world titles, and world records in both the 100m (9.58) and 200m (19.19), had run 19.93 at the same age. Gout’s achievement places him in elite company and has sparked excitement about his potential to challenge for global titles in the years ahead.