Gout Gout has been on an extraordinary rise to fame since his exceptional run at the Queensland Athletic championship. What made it so special? Well, the sheer speed that the young speedster showed as he won the 100m race with a whirlwind time of 10.38 seconds. Yet, what was even crazier was the fact that the 17-year-old was a whole 0.43 seconds ahead of the second-ranked sprinter. But while many expected this run of dominance to continue, the youngster seems to have gotten in quite a stumble. But what happened?

After all, this wasn’t the only race where he was dominating. Just a few days back, he got a sub-10-second 100m run even though he was disqualified. And he did it despite less-than-ideal weather conditions. Add that to his silver medal in the 200m at the 2024 World Junior Championships in Peru, and it’s clear—this teenager is already making a global name for himself.

But now the young Aussie has been one-upped by a fellow Australian. The “Track and Field Gazette” has posted about the same on X, with the caption, “Lachlan Kennedy 🇦🇺 beats Gout Gout 🇦🇺 to win the men’s 200m at the Maurie Plant Meet.”

Kennedy clocked out with his personal best of 20.26s (0.4), and Gout finished second with a time of 20.30s. The energy in Melbourne was electric. The weather? Not exactly ideal—cool air and a slight breeze weren’t what sprinters would hope for. But that didn’t stop the thousands of fans from packing in, ready to witness a showdown.

On one side, Lachlan Kennedy—fresh off a silver medal in the 60m at the World Indoors. He had a solid personal best of 21.19 in the 200m, but let’s be real—if he wanted a shot at winning, he needed to smash that time. And then there was Gout. The guy everyone came to see. Just a few months ago, he rewrote history, taking down Peter Norman’s iconic 20.06 national record from the 1968 Olympics with a blazing 20.04. All eyes were on him. The stakes? Huge. The race? About to be unforgettable. But what’s next?

What’s next for Gout Gout? 

Gout has been on a tear. At just 17, he’s already making headlines—blazing through the 100m in 10.38s at the Queensland Athletics Championships, smashing a 56-year-old national record in the 200m with 20.04s, and grabbing silver at the World U20 Championships. Oh, and let’s not forget that sub-10-second 100m sprint that had everyone talking—even if it didn’t officially count.

But after his latest showdown with Lachlan Kennedy, where he finished second in the 200m at the Maurie Plant Meet, Gout finds himself in unfamiliar territory. For months, he’s been the one leaving competitors behind. This time, he was the one chasing. Does this change anything? Not really. Every great sprinter—even Bolt in his early days—has had moments like these.

The difference is what happens next. Gout isn’t just another young talent; he’s been rewriting history. So, what’s next? If the past few months have shown anything, it’s that Gout isn’t done surprising us. At 17, he has time on his side. The setback against Kennedy? Just part of the journey. If Gout uses it as fuel to improve, he won’t just be Australia’s next sprint star—he could be one of the greatest the country has ever seen.

Not to mention, with multiple races upcoming, we can witness him sooner rather than later. But once he returns, one thing will be clear. It won’t be the same Gout. After all, it took Bolt to get a defeat at the hands of Justin Gatlin in Athens 2004 to truly become his unbeatable self in Beijing. And as comparisons mount up against Gout Gout to the Lightning Bolt, perhaps we can see even greater heights from the Aussie.