Teenage sprint star Gout Gout shatters historic 200m Australian record

Australian sprinter Gout Gout has swiftly ascended to remarkable achievements, as the 16-year-old shattered one of the nation’s most renowned records during the All-Schools Championships held in Brisbane.

The young star broke Peter Norman's 200m national record, which had stood for 56 years, by sprinting around the track in an impressive 20.04 seconds during the final on Saturday.

Norman achieved the impressive time of 20.06 seconds, which became a lasting record, while securing a silver medal at the 1968 Olympics in Mexico City. He later joined Tommie Smith and John Carlos on the podium to show his support as they made a black power salute.

Gout has made a name for himself as the most thrilling Australian sprinter in over fifty years, shattering Norman’s record by 0.02 seconds while benefiting from a legal tailwind of +1.5 meters per second.

"I'm just a kid navigating a world of grown-ups," Gout shared. "The future looks really bright. I didn’t anticipate achieving this level of success so quickly, but I guess I just clocked the fastest 200 time ever in Australia. I’ve been aiming for that record, but I honestly didn’t expect it to happen this year. I thought it would take until next year or maybe even the year after."

Gout has now become the second quickest sprinter under the age of 18 for the 200m, trailing only behind American sprinter Erriyon Knighton, who achieved a world record time of 19.84 seconds at the age of 17 in 2021. Previously, Usain Bolt, a former record-holder for his age group, completed the 200m in 20.13 seconds when he was 16 in 2003. Bolt also holds the overall world record for the 200m with a time of 19.19 seconds, set during the 2009 world championships.

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In just 20.04 seconds, 16-year-old Gout Gout has made his mark in athletics history by becoming the fastest Australian ever in the 200m. He surpassed Peter Norman's long-standing record of 20.06 seconds, which was set during the 1968 Olympic Games.

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The athlete from Queensland won a silver medal at the World Under-20 Championships in August with a time of 20.60 seconds. Last month, he improved his personal best to 20.29 seconds at the Queensland All Schools Championships, and on Saturday, he surpassed that record. Now, at just 16 years old, Gout ranks as the sixth-fastest under-20 sprinter in the 200 meters, with Knighton currently holding the record at 19.49 seconds.

"My video blew up just before the world juniors, which definitely added some pressure," Gout shared. "But as the saying goes, pressure creates diamonds, and I feel like I’m shining even brighter than that right now. I’m focusing on making small improvements—beating my personal best by 0.01 or 0.02 seconds. Aiming for that big sub-20 time is exciting, but I’m keeping my expectations realistic."

Gout had previously dazzled spectators at the Queensland Sport and Athletics Centre by clocking a wind-aided time of 10.04 seconds in his 100-meter heat on Friday.