Promising young Australian sprinter Gout Gout is set to participate in the prestigious Stawell Gift this April. The 17-year-old athlete has tentatively agreed to compete in the renowned 120-metre race, an event confirmed by both The Age and Gout’s manager, James Templeton. Though the official arrangements are pending, Gout’s participation is a significant boost for the event, which will celebrate its 143rd iteration.
Scheduled from April 19-21, the highlight of the Stawell Gift will be the Easter Monday race, where both male and female winners will each receive a reward of $40,000, making it known as “Australia’s richest footrace.” The challenge of winning from scratch has not been achieved since 2005, raising anticipation for Gout’s performance against seasoned competitors.
Before the Stawell Gift, Gout will compete at the Queensland Championships from March 13-16, tackling both the 100m and 200m events. He will also feature in the Maurie Plant Meet in Melbourne on March 29 and the Australian Championships in Perth shortly before the Gift. Recently, Gout made headlines by breaking the Australian 200m record previously held by Olympic legend Peter Norman, clocking 20.04 seconds, even bettering Usain Bolt’s personal best at the same age.