Last year, as Noah Lyles and Kishane Thompson dominated sprinting headlines, a quiet storm was brewing in Australia. Then 16, Gout Gout blasted a 20.04s 200m at the Australian All Schools Championships, smashing a 56-year-old national record and forcing the world to take notice. Fast forward to the recent World Athletics Championships, Gout clocked in 20.36s in the semifinals, placing 4th, thereby missing the 200m final by a whisker. Now 17, he already owns a milestone neither Usain Bolt nor Noah Lyles checked off this early.

The milestone in question is being named to the Forbes 30 under 30 list, a feat that even Noah Lyles and Usain Bolt couldn’t pull off at his age. Bolt was named on Forbes’ 30 Under 30: Sports list in 2012, when he was 26, while Lyles was mentioned in that list back in 2023, when he was 25. As we can see, while Bolt and Lyles achieved that feat in their 20s, Gout Gout did it in his teens. To be precise, he did it at 17 years of age.

At 17, Gout has already matched or even surpassed both men in key metrics. Earlier this year, while preparing for the World Athletics Championships, he ran at a schoolboy meet in Queensland and clocked 9.94s in the 100m, hand-timed, unofficially, but still his season best. For better context, Noah Lyles recorded his own season best at the World Championships, running 9.89s to win the 100m gold.

Both Noah Lyles and Usain Bolt have been left awestruck by how far the 17-year-old has progressed at such a young age. Lyles has even admitted that Gout was ahead of him at the same stage, saying, “He’s (Gout) more talented (at 17) than I was.” Lyles ran 10.14 in the 100m and 20.18 in the 200m at age 17 in 2015. He further praised the Australian prodigy, adding, “Gout’s an amazing kid. He’s got a great head on him, a great team around him.”

“It’s going to be interesting to see how he develops. The thing I always look for when I’m looking at younger talent is, ‘Hey, are you just going to be able to train into shape?’ Because when you’re in high school, you’re able to get races all the time, whenever you want. But as a pro (professional athlete), you’ve got to come prepared already. And then, just seeing how they put some weight room on him, as time develops, naturally,” said Lyles about Gout.

Just like Lyles, Usain Bolt, who won the IAAF World Youth Championships at 17, calls Gout Gout a highly talented prospect but warns that the jump from junior to senior level could be a major hurdle for the Aussie.

“It’s always easier when you’re younger because I was there, I used to do great things when I was young, but the transition to senior from junior is always tougher.”

“It’s all about if you get the right coach, the right people around you, if you’re focused enough, so there will be a lot of factors to determine if he’s going to be great, and if he’s going to continue on the same trajectory to a championship or Olympics.”

Gout Gout bid farewell to his junior career earlier this year at the GPS Track and Field Championships in Brisbane, where he stepped up for a 400m run and clocked a personal best of 46.14.

“This is the place where I found my speed. It definitely feels sad, but I’m definitely grateful,” he said as he bid adieu to his junior chapter. And now, what’s next for the Aussie prodigy? The upcoming Commonwealth Games.

Gout Gout gunning for gold at the upcoming Commonwealth Games

After his standout performance at the World Athletics Championships, Gout Gout was initially expected to target the World Junior Athletics Championships in the United States, scheduled for August 5–9 next year. However, the teenage sprint sensation is now shifting his focus to the Commonwealth Games, which will run from July 23 to August 2.

Speaking to news.com.au, Gout’s manager, James Templeton, expressed, “We need to wait for the full Commonwealth Games program to be released, but yes, we are planning that Gout will be available to run at an event in Glasgow before going on to the World Juniors in Eugene.”

Gout’s move was applauded by Australia’s Glasgow 2026 chef de mission, Petria Thomas, who, in his conversation with ABC Sport, expressed, “It’s very exciting when our best athletes publicly announce their intention to be at the Games. There is of course qualification processes that all of our athletes will need to go through; a lot can happen in the year leading into a Games.”

Widely regarded to become the sport’s next global superstar, Gout’s game has just started. He has already rewritten Australia’s sporting game, and now his next target is to make a big name for himself on the global stage. Will he be able to get ahead of Usain Bolt and Noah Lyles?