Gout won the 200m race in Ostrava, Czech Republic, yesterday with a personal best (PB) of 20.02 seconds, breaking the Australian national record.
The 17-year-old finished strong, overtaking Cuban runner Reynier Mena in the final 50 meters to break his own national record, shaving 0.02 seconds off his previous mark set at the Australian high school championships in December 2024.
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Gout Gout (center) sprints to victory in the 200m at the Ostrava Golden Spike on 24/6. Photo: AP |
Gout Gout (center) sprints to victory in the 200m at the Ostrava Golden Spike on 24/6. Photo: AP
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Gout Gout breaks the Australian 200m record with a time of 20.02 seconds. Photo: Reuters |
Gout Gout breaks the Australian 200m record with a time of 20.02 seconds. Photo: Reuters
Mena was considered the favorite, having won the 200m at the Stockholm Diamond League the previous week. The 28-year-old led for most of the race but finished second, 0.17 seconds behind Gout. British runner Nethaneel Mitchell-Blake, 31, finished third in 20.60 seconds.
According to Canadian Running Magazine, beyond the victory in his professional debut, Gout’s performance highlighted his potential for growth. Despite a good start, the young Australian's acceleration in the curve could still be improved.
"I've felt stronger in training over the past few months and since arriving in Europe last week," Gout said, pleased with his performance. "I knew Mena would push in the first 100 meters, but I was confident I could stay with him and finish strongly in the second half. That's the stronger part of my race. A national record is not a bad start in Europe."
Gout's time was just shy of the meet record of 19.83 seconds, set by Usain Bolt at the Golden Spike in 2008.
Gout, who has been compared to Usain Bolt, first gained attention in 2022 when he ran the 100m in 10.57 seconds at the age of 14. He attracted more notice last August, running the 200m in 20.60 seconds at the 2024 World Athletics U20 Championships, 0.01 seconds faster than Bolt's time at age 15 in 2002.
At the Australian All-Schools Championships in December 2024, Gout's time of 10.04 seconds, at age 16, was not recognized due to a 3.4 m/s tailwind. His official personal best in the 100m remains 10.17 seconds.
At 17 years and 178 days old, Gout is approaching Bolt's early career milestones. At the same age, Bolt ran the 200m in 19.93 seconds at the 2004 CARIFTA Games in Bermuda, setting a world U20 record. American Erriyon Knighton currently holds the world U20 record at 19.69 seconds.
Hong Duy (ESPN, Canadian Running Magazine)
