Teen sprint sensation Gout Gout, who has shattered longstanding Australian records and received a chance to train with Olympic victor Noah Lyles, encountered unexpected challenges in his seasonโs final race. The 17-year-oldโs pace, which had consistently outpaced his competitors throughout the southern summer, ultimately led to his downfall in the season finale.
During the Easter weekend, Gout participated in the Stawell Gift, a prestigious 120-meter handicap race on a grassy track in Victoria, dating back to 1878. The unique handicap system devised by race officials posed a greater challenge than Goutโs opponents, preventing a win for the high school senior. Taking second place in his semifinal race, Gout missed the finals as only winners of the heats advanced.
Competitors in the race start from handicap marks based on their recent performances in 100 meters. John Evans, who began with a mark 8.75 meters ahead of Gout and positioned five lanes apart, narrowly edged him out in their semifinal showdown. Eventually, it was Evans who claimed victory in the final.
The event, aired live across Australia, anticipated an exciting face-off between Gout and 21-year-old Lachlan Kennedy, who recently earned a silver medal in the 60-meters at the World Indoor Championships in China. The Australian Broadcasting Corp., provided live coverage on its website, heightening the eventโs profile.
Although Gout ran a series of wind-assisted sub-10 second 100s and a sub-20 200 over the past month, setting personal bests, these donโt count as official records due to excessive tailwind speeds. Nonetheless, his championship titles and rapid advancement have reignited national enthusiasm for track and field.
Last December, at just 16, Gout achieved a remarkable time of 20.04 seconds in the 200-meter event at the national high school championships, breaking the 56-year-old national record previously set by Peter Norman, a 1968 Olympic silver medalist.
The budding competition between Gout and Kennedy is already stirring excitement for the 2032 Summer Games in Brisbane. For Gout, hailing from nearby Ipswich, these will be his hometown Olympics. At 24, he is drawing comparisons to legendary sprinter Usain Bolt, admired for their similar teenage track times. Lyles has even described Goutโs potential Olympic run as a โperfect stormโ during a conversation with him.
โThe ultimate aim is definitely the 2032 Olympics,โ Gout said. โThatโs my target.โ
In the meantime, Gout plans to take a short break to focus on his high school studies, before gearing up for the world championships in Tokyo this September. Reflecting on the recent meet, he expressed his delight in the atmosphere and support from avid fans.
โThis event is fantastic,โ he shared. โThe crowd, the people, the trackโeverything is amazing. Itโs an incredible feeling seeing people from across Australia here just to watch me run.โ