OSTRAVA, Czech Republic — At just 17 years old, Gout Gout is already making waves on the athletics scene, drawing comparisons to the legendary Usain Bolt. Competing in his first professional race in Europe, the Australian high school student recently shattered his own national record by winning the 200 meters at the Golden Spike meet in Ostrava with a time of 20.02 seconds. Although not his fastest time over this distance, the achievement has brought him increased recognition.
Gout previously posted two remarkable times under the 20-second mark, recording 19.84 and 19.98 seconds at the national championship in Perth this April. However, these impressive runs were wind-assisted and therefore not classified as official. Nonetheless, Gout’s performances firmly place him among the top seven Under-20 sprinters in history, a distinguished group that includes Usain Bolt, the iconic Jamaican sprinter known for his Olympic triumphs in 2008 and 2012.
Last December, at just 16 years of age, Gout made headlines by clocking a time of 20.04 seconds to clinch the 200-meter title at the national high school championships, surpassing a longstanding national record dating back 56 years. This record was previously held by Peter Norman, the 1968 Olympic silver medalist.
In the recent race held in Ostrava, Gout ran in Lane 6 and demonstrated an impressive finish that enabled him to overtake Cuba’s Reynier Mena in the final 30 meters. This race, strategically ideal for Australian morning television, added a new national record to Gout’s accolades. “Another national record! Pretty happy with that. It’s not a bad first-up in Europe,” Gout remarked. He shared that he felt strong in training over the past few months and had settled well in Europe since arriving the previous Thursday.
Born in Ipswich, near Brisbane in Queensland, Gout’s story is also one of family heritage. His parents are immigrants from South Sudan who relocated to Australia in 2005. He intends to continue his European racing tour next month before heading back to Australia for his studies and to gear up for the world championships in Tokyo scheduled for September.