Gout Gout just might be the most exciting teenage sprinter around. Just a month ago at the 2025 World Athletics Championships in Tokyo, Gout Gout pulled off a remarkable performance in the 200m heats. Though he failed to make the final eventually, the teenage prodigy is one to watch in the future, already inviting comparisons to the legendary Usain Bolt after smashing Bolt’s record as the world’s fastest 16-year-old. Now, just as he prepares to leave high school behind, Gout has made sure to add one last feather to his crown as a schoolboy.

Back in September, Gout Gout finished fourth in his semifinal at Worlds. He may not have qualified for the final, but competing against the likes of Letsile Tebogo and Bryan Levell and coming in fourth was an invaluable experience. As Gout himself said after, “I’ve got time.”  And he made sure to yet again make the headlines with a bang just days before his Year 12 final exams.

In the GPS Track and Field Championships in Queensland that unfolded on Friday, Gout represented Ipswich Grammar School for the last time. Known for sprinting and breaking records in the 100m and 200m, Gout decided to switch it up by running the 400m. And guess what? He set a record yet again by breaking the meet record with a time of 46.14 seconds.

It all went down at the Queensland Sport and Athletics Centre—the very same track where the young sprinter rose to fame. Finishing the race on a high note, Gout Gout said, “This is the place where I found my speed.”

That wasn’t the only record Gout broke at the meet. Shortly after, he ran in the 4x100m relay, anchoring his team to victory. Their time of 41.30 also broke the Queensland GPS record, ensuring that Gout’s last time in the red and white striped jersey of his high school would be a memorable one.

“I’ve been at this school since grade 7 and they’ve definitely helped me. It’s a great school, it’s the school where I met my friends and teachers around me,” shared the 17-year-old. But as it appears, he is already all buckled up to grab wins in the next level. “It feels great, and I just can’t wait to go on the next journey”, said Gout Gout.

Now, with the Aussie star making his ground strong in the long sprints, America’s own teenage prodigy, Quincy Wilson, might have to buckle up to face another strong contender in the discipline he currently rules. But after Gout Gout’s strong run at the 2025 Worlds, US sprint legend Carl Lewis shared some advice for the Australian phenom who is often compared to the Jamaican legend.

Carl Lewis warns Gout Gout to not let early fame outrun his journey

Gout Gout broke Usain Bolt’s under-16 200m record last year. And that made even Bolt claim that he sees a reflection of his younger self in the teenage prodigy. Now, right after his 200m performance in the semis of Tokyo Worlds, Carl Lewis has shared some words with the rising star to navigate the ups and downs that might be waiting for him.

While Gout Gout has seen the limelight at such a young age, Carl Lewis hopes that he doesn’t let the hype from track fans overwhelm him. While having a conversation with Olympics.com, Lewis stated, “I’d tell him not to let the hype take it too fast,” he said before adding, “Fortunately, I made teams, I made my Pan Am team, I made the Olympic team at 18, but it still allowed me, being a long jumper in a time when the media was different, to just kind of go at a pace that was age-appropriate.”

Lewis emphasized how the world has changed. In today’s times of heavy competition, fame might be attained rapidly, yet maintaining it has become considerably more challenging. Reflecting on the same, the US legend shared, “I think the big thing is that we’ve seen this movie so many times with young athletes having such success, and then we just forget; they just fade away.”

He asked Gout Gout not to “rush it.” However, now, as Gout Gout puts an end to his school career, track fans will be waiting to witness how he performs in the elite realm.