Sprint prodigy Gout Gout has shattered another record, drawing fresh comparisons to Olympic legend Usain Bolt. The 16-year-old Australian delivered two remarkable performances at the national All Schools Athletics Championship this week.
The Queensland schoolboy started his day by clocking an astounding 10.04 seconds in the 100m, marking the fourth fastest time ever by an under-18 athlete and the fifth quickest overall by an Aussie. However, due to a 3.4 per second tailwind, this time couldn’t be officially recorded as records require no more than a 2m/s tailwind.
Despite this, it was still an awe-inspiring display, with commentator Mitch Dyer exclaiming: “10.04, how do you do Gout Gout. That is absolutely unbelievable. Ladies and gentlemen, that is history.”
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Gout, who began the day with a personal best of 10.29, wasn’t done yet. His later time of 10.17 was legal, officially becoming the sixth fastest under-18 time ever, as well as a national record in his age group.
This led to renewed comparisons with Bolt, the winner of eight Olympic and 11 World Championship gold medals. One social media user commented: “Tell me it doesn’t remind you of the way Usain Bolt glided at his peak. Gonna be an absolute superstar, this kid.”
Another added: “I’ve been a bit skeptical of the comparisons between Gout Gout and Usain Bolt, but the similarity in which they run is undeniable. Overnight, Gout ran 10.17 (0.9) and 10.04 (3.4) in Australia – astonishing.” One impressed observer exclaimed: “Insane from runner Gout Gout. 10.04 at the age of 16. Could this finally be the heir to Bolt?”
As Gout gears up to celebrate his 17th birthday later this month, he’s on track to smash the 10-second barrier, a feat only one other Australian has managed to date; that record is held by Patrick Johnson, who clocked in an impressive 9.93 seconds in Japan back in 2003.
His coach, Di Sheppard, confidently shared with News Corp: “We talk about it because to us it’s a given [that he breaks 10 seconds]. When it happens it happens, and it could happen early because everything’s happening sooner than we expected.”
Hailing from the outskirts of Brisbane, the young athlete also broke records in the under-18 and under-20 200m categories when he ran a 20.29s at the Queensland All Schools Athletics Championshipsmere fractions of a second behind Australia’s national record set by Peter Norman at the 1968 Olympics.
Looking ahead, the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics beckon as a pinnacle where Gout could compete at the age of 20, while the subsequent Games in 2032 will take place right in his hometown of Brisbane, offering an even grander stage for the rising star.
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