“These are adult times and me, just a kid – I’m running them.”
16-year-old Australian Gout Gout is the hottest property in world sport right now, after setting breathtaking times in both the 100m and 200m at the All-Schools Championships in Brisbane.
On Friday, he ran a wind-assisted 10.04s in his 100m heat – the fourth fastest U-18 time ever – before winning the final in a legal time of 10.27s.
However, his most impressive run was his 20.04s in the 200m final on Saturday, where he broke Peter Norman’s national record of 20.06s, which was set at the 1968 Mexico City Olympics.
This puts Gout Gout as the second fastest U18 sprinter over 200m, with the USA’s Erriyon Knighton running 19.84s as a 17-year-old in 2021.
Usain Bolt – who holds the world record of 19.19s – ran 20.13 back in 2003, when he was 16.
Safe to say the Gout Gout already has his records in his sights.
Gout Gout storms to 100m and 200m victory
After the race Gout Gout said: “These are adult times and me, just a kid – I’m running them.
“It’s going to be a great future for sure. I didn’t expect it to be that fast but I guess I ran Australia’s fastest ever time in the 200m. I have been chasing that record but I didn’t think it would come this year. I thought maybe next year or the year after that.”
The Queensland native also won 200m silver at the World Athletics U20 Championship back in August, with a time of 20.60s.
He added: “My video went viral right before world juniors and that already created pressure. But you know what they say, pressure makes diamonds and I guess I’m better than a diamond right now.
“We just take little steps; beat my PB by 0.01 and 0.02. Chasing that big sub-20, it will be great for sure but I’m not expecting too much.”
