Not Usain Bolt Record, Gout Gout Impressed Track and Field Legend by One Move

If someone says “fastest man in the world,” chances are that Usain Bolt comes to mind immediately. But there’s a new name making waves on the track: Gout Gout. This young phenom has been turning heads in Australia and beyond, and at just 16 years old, he’s already being compared to the Jamaican sprinting legend. The teenage sprinter announced himself in spectacular fashion during the 2023 Australian Junior Athletics Championship.

With a jaw-dropping 20.87 seconds in the 200m sprint, Gout not only captivated the crowd but also shattered the national under-18 record of 20.90 seconds. This record had previously been shared by legends like Paul Green, Darren Clark, and Zane Bronco. But Gout wasn’t content to rest on his laurels. His most recent performance has not only reinforced his status as a rising star but also caught the attention of a track and field legend. So, what exactly went down? Let us find out!

Gout Gout’s record-breaking performance stuns track and field legend

The 16-year-old competed in the Australian All-Schools Athletics Championships in Brisbane last week. With his stellar performance in the 100m and 200m events, Gout Gout continues to bring global attention to track and field. So much so, that even Justin Gatlin couldn’t look away. On a December 13 episode of the Ready Set Go podcast, the former American sprinter couldn’t help but hype the Australian. “I don’t know if you got a chance to watch the video of his races, but impressive, very impressive,” he stated.

What race is the Olympian referring to? In the 200m dash, Gout flew past the finish line in a blistering 20.04 seconds. But that isn’t all. “He has the Australian record, which was… the previous Australian record was 20.06. He went 20.04,” Gatlin marveled. You heard that right! The sprinter had just shattered a 56-year-old national record set by none other than Peter Norman. His time of 20.06 seconds was worthy of a silver medal at the 1968 Mexico City Olympics. However, the phenom has surpassed that, stealing a few hearts as well.

But that wasn’t what impressed the 5x Olympic medalist. Even though Gout beat the field by an incredibly large margin, Gatlin was moved by how well he did. “It’s the fact of the technique, and I watched him come off the turn and how he handled it. He ran those races like a professional athlete would run those races, very poised, even in the 100 meters,” the track legend exclaimed. Gatlin reiterated that one of his favorite moments from the race was when one of Gout Gout’s competitors got off the blocks ahead of him.

Why, you ask? Moments like this can often make or break a race for a sprinter. But the 16-year-old impressed the 42-year-old by keeping calm and poised. All he focused on was his form, eventually leaving his competitors in the dust. Gatlin couldn’t help but dub him with the showman term, claiming, “he got a little swag to him, you know what I mean?” On the other hand, this wasn’t the only record shattered by the Australian.

In the 100m heats, the phenom clocked a wind-assisted 10.4 seconds. Unfortunately, this wasn’t considered an official record due to a tailwind of +3.4 m/s. Gout even reiterated that he had been chasing the national record for quite some time now and thought he had it in the heats. However, in a surprising turn of events, he did just that by scorching to the finish line in 10.17 seconds.

Along with clinching the title, he is now the sixth fastest under-18 sprinter in 100m time in history. Yet, the pièce de résistance was that he had just smashed the Australian national under-18 record previously held by Sebastian Sultana (10.27). But what if we tell you that it gets better?

The 16-year-old has surpassed Usain Bolt

Remember how we said he shattered Peter Norman’s 56-year-old Australian national record? Turns out, that wasn’t the only shocking bit about his feat. Being compared to the Jamaican legend can be quite daunting. However, that doesn’t seem to have any negative implications for the Australian sprinter. Why, you ask? Well, the 16-year-old’s time of 20.04 bettered Bolt’s 200m mark from when he was the same age.

The 8x Olympic gold medalist clocked 20.13 seconds in the 200-meter at 16. But with this, Gout now owns the fastest-ever 200m time by a 16-year-old. Wait, that’s not all! He also shot up to #2 on the under-18 list, surpassing the Jamaican legend, who now sits in the #3 position. So, who’s #1? It is none other than Erriyon Knighton, who clocked 19.84 seconds back in 2021. On the other hand, this isn’t the only Bolt record the 16-year-old has obliterated.

The Australian sprinter didn’t begin running until he was 13 years old. In fact, that’s when his coach, Diane ‘Di’ Sheppard, witnessed the phenom for the first time on the track. However, he didn’t make waves until a year later in August. The phenom had qualified for the World Athletics Under-20 Championships in Lima, Peru.

This time, he only contested in the 200m dash. Slowly but gradually, the sprinter made it to the finals, hoping to change the Australian track and field scene with his contention. Alas, he eventually lost in the finals to South Africa’s Bayanda Walaza. On the other hand, his blistering time of 20.60 seconds happened to be 0.01 seconds faster than a 15-year-old Usain Bolt. The Jamaican clinched a gold at the 2002 World Junior Championships in Kingston by crossing the line in 20.61 seconds. Are you just as impressed by the 16-year-old’s feat?