Seventeen-year-old Gout Gout set a new Australian record in the men’s 200m at the Golden Spike athletics meeting in Ostrava, Czech Republic. It was his first senior international race, and he won with an impressive time of 20.02 seconds.
The race marked Gout’s first competition in Europe. He managed to beat Cuban sprinter Reynier Mena, who had won the last two Diamond League 200m races, and Britain’s Nethaneel Mitchell-Blake, who finished third with a season’s best of 20.60 seconds.
Speaking after the race, Gout said:
“I feel good. It’s a new personal best and national record. When I’m on the track, it’s just me doing what I love – running. I just need a few more races and I believe I’ll break the 20-second barrier soon.”
Gout has already been compared to sprinting legend Usain Bolt. Interestingly, his time in Ostrava was faster than Bolt’s result in the same event back in 2006, although Bolt had already run under 20 seconds at Gout’s age.
Before this race, Gout’s personal best was 20.04 seconds, already the Australian record, which he set last December. He has dominated youth competitions, holding national under-16 records in both the 100m and 200m, and winning medals at the national and world under-20 championships.
Following strong performances last year, including wins at the Queensland GPS Track & Field Championships, Gout turned professional and signed a sponsorship deal with Adidas. He is now preparing for the 2025 World Championships in Tokyo, where he will compete in September. His next race is at the Monaco Diamond League on 11 July.
