First, he shattered Usain Bolt’s record. Now he’s rewriting history. Aussie sprinting prodigy Gout Gout has sent shockwaves through the athletics world by blasting past the 10-second barrier in the 100m ahead of the upcoming Tokyo World Championships. Yes, the line that separates great from legendary has been obliterated by a 17-year-old phenom! Last year, his jaw-dropping 200m dash in 20.04s eclipsed Usain Bolt’s under-18 best of 20.13, and this year, Gout is already breaking GOAT records. But here’s the twist: his jaw-dropping 100m run won’t even count. Why? Let’s dive in.

Preparing for his Tokyo World Championship next month, the Aussie participated in a schoolboy event back in his hometown, Queensland. It was a Friday night event, and Gout lined up alongside other competitors. With the honk of the whistle, Gout stormed ahead of his opponents, taking the lead early and clocking an amazing 9.94s. With this speed, he could have been included in the list of the fastest men this season, but since it was a schoolboy meet, and it was hand-timed, it would not be recorded officially.

Talking to the media, Gout’s manager, James Templeton, stated, “It’s a low-key event the GPS but it’s good to get a run in, a nice little warm up, and shows the form he is in for Tokyo in three weeks. It was hand timed but it was a race effort and that’s important in the weeks leading up to Tokyo.” His speed nearly broke Patrick Johnson’s Australian record of 9.93 seconds, which was set way back in 2003, but since it was hand-timed, it will not count.

The community doesn’t seem happy with the endeavor, commenting on the injustice. One of the track and field news handles, Global Athlete Hub, reminded officials that every professional athlete has to go through schoolboy events, but that doesn’t mean those performances shouldn’t be recorded. “Pros in the UK, Pros in Australia, Pros in South Africa and many other countries all have ran hand timed races in their teens because that’s how it’s done at the grassroots level. Not every country can be geared to 9.9 in HS because the tracks/facilities aren’t there,” writes the handle.

This isn’t Gout’s first dance with the sub-10 barrier. Earlier this year, the 17-year-old phenom blazed through the national championships in Perth, clocking a jaw-dropping 9.99 seconds not once, but twice, in the heats and the final! Unfortunately, both sizzling runs were wiped from the record books thanks to illegal tailwinds.

For Gout, records seem to be of no concern; he understands that, as he is chasing greatness, he will be faced with setbacks. Representing the Island-continent at the Tokyo Championship next month, he understands the meaning of hard work, and guess what, he’s more than ready for it.

“Reachable,” says Gout Gout ahead of Tokyo World Championship

Back in 2024, no one thought anyone could come close to Usain Bolt’s incredible 200m dash record at age 18. However, Gout had other ideas. Breaking the barrier, he briefly became the face of the sport. And guess what? He broke it again this year at the Diamond League meeting in Monaco last month, cruising to victory with a time of 20.10 seconds in an under-23 event.

Having broken Bolt’s record once, the Aussie is looking to break more of his records in the coming time. Talking to the media, Gout expressed that, for now, becoming the world champion is his target. “I think the limit is just obviously winning Olympics and winning world championships and just honestly dominating like Bolt did. So I think that’s a limit, a reachable for me,” said Gout. Valid words from someone who is blessed with such talent.

Looking for gold, Gout Gout has his eyes set on the championship title. He carries the weight of a nation on his shoulders, but is he fazed by it? Judging by his recent performances, he seems more excited than worried about facing some of the biggest talents. Will the Aussie sensation bring gold home for Australia? Only time will tell.