Picture this: being so ridiculously fast that people can’t help but compare you to the legendary Usain Bolt. That’s exactly the whirlwind reality for 16-year-old Aussie sprinter, Gout Gout. Last year, at a Brisbane meet, Gout didn’t just run—he flew, clocking a jaw-dropping 20.04 seconds in the 200m. That blazing performance shattered Bolt’s 16-year-old record of 20.13 seconds set back in 2003. But for Gout, smashing a record wasn’t the finale—it was just the opening act. Fast forward to just a few days ago, the teen phenom returned to the All-School Championships in Brisbane and clocked in, yet again, at an electric 20.04 seconds in the 200m.

But wait, the real cherry on top? Gout didn’t just run fast—he rewrote history. His performance shattered a 56-year-old national record set by Peter Norman at the 1968 Mexico City Olympics. Norman’s 20.06-second silver-medal run had stood unchallenged for decades until Gout decided it was time to raise the bar. And now, this young speed demon is turning heads and stealing hearts, sparking nonstop buzz and applause all across the track scene!

Gout Gout breaks 56-year-old record!

Over on the track and field subreddit, the community brought the hype with a post featuring a tweet from Athletics Weekly. The tweet highlighted Gout’s jaw-dropping feat of breaking Peter Norman’s 56-year-old 200m record of 20.06 seconds, a mark that had stood untouched for decades. The caption read, “For 56 years, no Australian got close to Peter Norman’s 200m record of 20.06. Gout Gout is now the new senior record-holder and has even gone quicker than Usain Bolt at the same age.”

The Reddit post captioned, “It will be good watching his career grow!” sparked an absolute storm of love and respect for Gout. The track and field community didn’t hold back, going all out to celebrate this young sprinter’s arrival on the global stage.

One user couldn’t help but drop a comment on the Reddit post, calling Gout an “Absolute showmen,” and honestly? We’re totally on board with that! He is now the second fastest under-18 sprinter over 200m, only trailing behind Erriyon Knighton, who holds the world record with a blazing 19.84s at 17. But trust me, he is speed is all kinds of electric, totally proving he’s got the skills of a true showman. And that’s just the beginning of the mad respect rolling in after his epic win.

Track and Field community showers love!

Yeah, you heard that right! That was just the start of all the love Gout’s been getting after his crazy win. One user even said, “Honestly, it will just be nice to have an Aussie male who can compete with the big dogs” and honestly, that’s totally true. If you look at the Olympics this year, there wasn’t a single Aussie in the top 8 for the 100m! Noah Lyles, Fred Kerley, and Kishane Thompson were taking the top spots, and Aussie guys weren’t even in sight. But with Gout? He’s got the chance to flip that script and put Aussie sprinting back on the map.

One user jumped in and said, “Everyone needs to stop bringing up Bolts name with him. If he doesn’t break records and win all golds, no matter how good of a career he does have, it will be “but he didn’t catch Bolt.” Just let him do his thing. Plus he’s what? 16? Slow down.” And honestly, we’re totally on board with that! Gout’s been getting compared to Usain Bolt after dropping an insane 20.04 in the 200m, smashing Bolt’s 16-year-old record of 20.13 from 2003. But here’s the thing—Gout has the potential to carve his own legend on the track.

On the same vibe, another user jumped in saying, “I dont think we will be the one to best bolts world records but he’s definitely a prospect to be one of the all time greats.” And yeah, when you think of Bolt, you think lightning speed, right? The guy’s a legend—eight Olympic golds and holding the world records in the 100m, 200m, and the 4x100m relay. Hitting Bolt’s records? That’s a whole different level. But, hey, if Gout keeps going the way he’s been, he’s got the potential to shake up the track world in his own epic way!

It doesn’t stop there, though. One user was like, “I don’t know the Australian system. Is there any indication what he will do next? Does Australia have sports at the US-style collegiate level or high-level sprinting clubs/training facilities?” And another user jumped in with, “He is going to start training with Lance Brauman’s camp at the beginning of next year.” So yup, after that insane win, Gout is heading to the US to train with none other than world champ Noah Lyles and the legendary coach Lance Brauman. As Gout put it, “Hopefully, we can qualify for the Tokyo World Championships. If not, I’ll just finish school in year 12,” Talk about keeping it real and balancing dreams with the everyday grind! His next moves? Pure fire.