Just days ago, 16-year-old Australian sprinting prodigy Gout Gout sent shockwaves through the track world, drawing comparisons to none other than Usain Bolt. Back in August, he snagged silver in the 200m at the World U20 Championships, but his latest jaw-dropping feat has raised the bar even higher. At the Australian Schools Championships in Brisbane, he scorched the track, running the 200m in an astonishing 20.04 seconds. That time didn’t just earn him the win—it obliterated a 56-year-old national record set by Peter Norman at the 1968 Olympics. Norman’s 20.06 silver-medal performance was iconic, but Gout’s revised 20.04 now reigns supreme.

To sweeten the story, this time also surpassed Bolt’s own 200m record at 16, set in Barbados in 2003, clocked at 20.13. “It’s pretty crazy,” Gout shared, clearly still processing the magnitude of his success. “These are adults. And me, I’m just a kid, and I’m running them (down).” As if smashing one record wasn’t enough, he also clocked a blistering 10.04 in the 100m heats on the same day—good for the fourth-fastest all-conditions time ever by an Aussie. But wait, there’s a plot twist: before toppling Bolt’s teenage legacy and Norman’s national record, Gout had already made history by breaking another long-standing record.

Gout Gout breaks another record!

In a report by News.com.au from last year, 15-year-old Gout Gout (at that time) was already making waves in Australian athletics, carving his name into history with an unbelievable performance at the Junior Athletics Championships in Brisbane. In the final of the men’s under-18 200m, he defied expectations—and the wind—by clocking an extraordinary 20.87 seconds. That run shattered the Australian under-18 record of 20.90, a mark shared by track legends Darren Clark (1982), Paul Greene (1989), and Zane Branco (2017).

To put it into perspective, all three were at least a year older than Gout when they set their times. And Darren Clark? A two-time Olympic finalist and Sport Australia Hall of Famer. Talk about rewriting the script of greatness! Reflecting on his record-breaking feat, Gout called it the cherry on top of a “mind-blowing” season. “It means a lot because I’ve been training so much for this,” he said. “I was really nervous. The gun went, and I was good, and I just kept pushing. It’s like you can’t feel any ground contact; it feels like you are floating.”

And honestly, floating never looked so fast! And as Gout basks in the spotlight, with the track world buzzing over comparisons to the iconic Bolt, the young sprinter is riding high on waves of newfound fame. But there’s a bigger thing awaiting him—a chance to catch up with the fiery pace of America’s top U18 sprinters.

Gout to chase another milestone!

He set the athletics world on fire with a phenomenal 10.03 seconds over 100m, which could make him the fastest U18 sprinter in history. But it turns out the +3.4 m/s tailwind had other plans, stealing time from the political victory. But don’t worry; he came back strong just two hours later with a time of 10.17 seconds. Not only did he break Sebastian Sultana’s Australian U18 record of 10.27, but he also went down in history as the sixth-best U18 sprinter of all time.

“I’ve been chasing this national record for a while,” Gout said. “In that heat, I thought I had it, but it was a crazy tailwind, so I just did the same thing and got the job done.” Still, this young rocket isn’t slowing down. He targets speed demons like Christian Miller and Puripol Boonson, who rule the U18 rankings with a sizzling 10.06. But his game is not limited to 100m. Just weeks ago he broke the 200 in 20:29, wiping out the Australian U18 and U20 records and closing in on the legendary Peter Norman’s 20:06.

And now, Gout is packing his bags for the USA, preparing to train with world champion Noah Lyles and coaching legend Lance Brauman. The dream? To secure a spot at the World Championships in Tokyo. “Hopefully, we can qualify for the Tokyo World Championships. If not, I’ll just finish school in year 12,” he joked, juggling teenage life and his sprinting stardom. With his fireball speed and Bolt-like charisma, Gout is just getting started—and the world better be ready to chase him!