Australian sprinting sensation Gout Gout is on the brink of breaking the 20-second barrier in the 200 metres under legal conditions, according to sprinting icon Matt Shirvington. Gout made headlines by clocking an impressive 19.98 seconds in the under-20 final at the Queensland athletics championships, becoming the first Australian to undercut 20 seconds, albeit in questionable wind conditions (+3.6 metres per second).
During a segment on 2GB’s Wide World of Sports, Shirvington expressed confidence in Gout, stating, “Blink, and he’ll do it… and he’ll do it 100 times after that.” Next week, the 17-year-old Ipswich Grammar student will shift focus from academics to athletics, flying to Melbourne for the Maurie Plant Meet on 29 March. If he doesn’t secure a legal sub-20 second run there, he may achieve it at the national championships in Perth next month.
Despite the record-breaking feat’s unofficial status, Shirvington emphasised the significance of Gout’s performance, asserting, “You’ve still got to run that quick… So, look, he hasn’t done it officially, but he’ll do it.” Gout had earlier posted a legal time of 20.05 seconds in the heats, which not only highlights his speed but also breaks the long-standing Australian open record of 20.06 seconds set by Peter Norman at the 1968 Olympics.
To date, Gout’s best official time remains the 20.04 seconds he recorded at the all-schools athletics championships last December. Comparatively, Usain Bolt achieved his fastest legal time of 20.13 seconds at 16 and 19.93 seconds at 17. The current under-20 world record belongs to American Erriyon Knighton, who clocked 19.49 seconds in 2022.
Gout’s ascension in the sprinting world is significant; as Shirvington remarked, it positions him alongside Usain Bolt at a comparable age. At the upcoming national championships, Gout will compete in both the under-20 100m and the open 200m, besides participating in the renowned 120m handicapped race at the Stawell Gift over the Easter weekend. Winning at Stawell could net him a $40,000 prize. However, with his reported $6 million multi-year deal with Adidas already secured last year, financial rewards are already well within reach.
In summary, Gout Gout’s emergence as a potential sprinting star could reshape the landscape of Australian athletics as he approaches a historic milestone in his young career.