Gout Gout had doubts. Just hours before stepping onto the track at the Australian All-Schools Championships, the 17-year-old wasn’t even sure he wanted to race. But when the moment came, he didn’t just run; he made history as he shattered Peter Norman’s 56-year-old Australian 200m record by clocking 20.04 seconds.

Track and field legend Norman’s 20.06s had stood since 1968, a mark set in an Olympic final that became one of Australia’s defining sporting moments. Yet in Brisbane, a teenager rewrote history with a single race. But breaking a national record is one thing—earning the respect of a legend’s family? That’s something else entirely. Gout has made a stunning confession about that record-breaking moment and the reactions that come after the historic race, including Peter Norman’s family.

Gout Gout, who now became the second on the U-18 all-time list, trailing only the United States’s Erriyon Knighton, who clocked 19.84s as a 17-year-old in 2021, shared that he received a congratulatory message from Norman’s daughter.

“It was basically like, “Congratulations,” obviously, and just being really excited about seeing me run because they’ve been watching me over the years,” Australian revealed on the Beyond The Records podcast when quizzed by Noah Lyles, which Lyles hosts with Rai Benjamin and Grant Holloway. 

Continuing further, Teenager said, “They’re just really excited that their dad’s record got broken by someone like me, and they’re really excited about how the sport is growing—especially not just for me, but for all the athletes in Australia and around the globe. So, they’re really passionate, and they’re really looking forward to seeing what I can do.

When Noah Lyles asked him what it meant, Gout didn’t hesitate. He had first learned about Norman in an English class, watching Salute, the documentary directed by Matt Norman. The film told the story of how Peter Norman stood in solidarity with Tommie Smith and John Carlos at the 1968 Olympics, wearing a human rights badge on the podium during their iconic protest.

“I remember watching his documentary in English class, and then, obviously, I was doing track and field at that time, and I was like, ‘That’s a record I got to beat,’” Gout admitted.

That moment stuck with him. A year later, he wasn’t just thinking about the record—he had broken it. And then came the message from Norman’s daughter, bringing the story full circle.

“Seeing their daughter reach out to me after I broke their dad’s record—it’s a great achievement.”

But as life moves forward for Australians, the teenager finds himself in the spotlight, drawing comparisons to the greatest sprinter of all time—Usain Bolt. And when asked about it, the Australian had a response of his own.

Gout Gout responds to Usain Bolt comparison

Gout Gout had a breathtaking season that had everyone talking. The 17-year-old sprint sensation shattered records, igniting comparisons to Usain Bolt. The Sudanese-born Australian stunned the track world when he clocked a wind-assisted 10.04s in the 100m. He then smashed Sebastian Sultana’s U18 national record, running 10.17s in the final. His 200m race in Brisbane in 20.04 seconds made him not only the fastest Australian sprinter in 56 years but also broke Bolt’s U-16 record of 20.13 seconds.

But while many have touted him as the Jamaican legend’s heir apparent, the 17-year-old Australian sprint prodigy has made his stance clear.

“Obviously, I’m trying to be the next Gout Gout,” he said on the Beyond the Records podcast.

“Being compared to Usain Bolt is great because he’s the best sprinter, the greatest athlete. But I’m Gout Gout, and I want to make my name as big as his. I want younger athletes to one day say, ‘You’re going to be the next…..’”

The prodigy’s record-breaking run is far from over. Next, he turns his focus to the Queensland State Titles in March, where he’ll look to sharpen his speed. But the real test awaits at Athletics Australia’s premier event, the Maurie Plant Meet on March 29 in Melbourne. There, under the spotlight, the 17-year-old will have another chance to prove why he’s the future of Australian sprinting.