Gout Gout

Brisbane’s Gout Gout has compiled an incredible series of sprint performances over the last 12 months, while still aged just 17 years in 2025.

The undoubted highlight was in December 2024 when he broke the 56-year-old Australian 200m record set by Peter Norman at the 1968 Mexico Olympics clocking 20.04 in Brisbane. It was Australia’s oldest record, and it was also a 16-year-old world age best time.

Gout’s 2024 and 2025 campaign also included silver in the 200m at the World U20 Championships and winning the Australian open 200m title in an extraordinary wind assisted time of 19.84 with a just over the legal limit win reading of 2.2m/s. His legal best of 20.04 qualified him for the world championships, which he was selected for in April. At the Nationals in Perth he also clocked two sub-10 wind assisted times of 9.99w (3.5m/s) and 9.99w (2.6m/s).

In his first race in Europe, (in Ostrava on 24 June 2025), he won the 200m in a PB and Australian record time of 20.02 (0.0).

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Gout started high school in 2000 at the prestigious Ipswich Grammar School in Brisbane. The year 7 student had not done any athletics training but at the Interhouse Track and Field carnival his speed caught the attention of the coaches. On little training and in his first pair of spikes he attended the Greater Public School (GPS) Track and Field Championships in October 2020. Aged 12, he competed in the 13-years 100m, 200m, 400m and 4x100m relay. Results in his first major competition were promising 100m 1st 11.52, 200m 1st 23.43, 400m 3rd 58.11, 4×100 1st 47.27. The next year, now in the 14-years, Gout finished in the same four places. Times were irrelevant as they ran into head winds, but his 400m had progressed to 54.67.

During 2021 Gout was training just twice a week until September 2021, just prior to these championships, he became a fulltime member of Di Sheppard’s squad. Gout later reflected on what Di told him.

“She basically told me I could be great, and that was the first time anyone ever told me something like that,” he explained. “It’s been a fantastic relationship with Di since.”

During the summer of 2021/22 he commenced regular competition at Queensland Athletics events. By the end of the year (2021), while still 13, he had clocked best times of 11.15 (100m) and 22.68 (200m). In early 2022 he had trimmed his best times to 10.95 and 22.15 while winning the Queensland State U16 sprint double. Now aged 14 years, competing at his first Australian Championships in Sydney in the U16 sprints he was 6th in the 100m (11.37) and 4th in the 200m (22.35). He won his first medal, silver, while anchoring the State team in the 4x100m relay.

Mid-2022 coach Di Sheppard reach out to an old friend and leading athlete manager James Templeton for a chat. James told Di he was aware of Gout, via videos from Jo Deng (a former Di Sheppard coached athlete, now managed by James). In late 2022 James meet with Di, Gout and his family.

Gout was now competing regularly, by the end of 2022, still aged 14, he had taken his PBs down to 10.57 and 21.14. In December he also claimed the Australian U16 All Schools sprint double. In the 200m, he twice destroyed the Australian record (previously 21.44), first with 21.15 in the heat and then 21.14 in the final. They would be his first national records.

By the end of the 2022/23 summer his PBs were now at 10.43 and 20.87 and the 15-year-old won the Australian U17 sprint double.

The 2023/24 summer season yield PBs of 10.29 and 20.69 as the 16-year-old claimed the National U20 sprint double, securing selection in the Australian team for the 2024 World U20 Championships.

In August at his international debut at the world juniors, in Lima, in Peru, he braved the freezing conditions to place second in the 200m clocking a PB time of 20.60, he also anchored the 4x100m relay to 5th place.

Back home in Brisbane in late 2025 his incredible form continued. In November he smashed his 200m PB clocking 20.29, breaking the Australian U18 and U20 records. It was a stunning performance, as he was now the 4th fastest in Australian history and it was the fastest time by an Aussie for 31-years. Then in December at the Australian All Schools he won the U18 100m and 200m in the stunning times of 10.17 (100m) and 20.04 (200m). He also ran windy heat times of 10.04w and 20.38w. The 200m time broke the 56-year-old Australian 200m record set by Peter Norman at the 1968 Mexico Olympics clocking 20.04 in Brisbane. It was Australia’s oldest record, and it was also a 16-year-old world age best time.

Over a month in early 2025 his campaign included a stunning series of times with two sub-10 100s and two sub-20 200s, all wind assisted. On March 16 he ran a windy 19.98w (3.6) – the first Aussies under 20 seconds in all-conditions. Two weeks later he was a close second to Lachlan Kennedy (20.26 to 20.30) in cool conditions in the Peter Norman memorial 200m in Melbourne. In Perth at the Nationals, he ran three windy times of 9.99w, 9.99w and 19.84w, with the later securing selection for the 2025 Tokyo world championships.

Usain Bolt comparisons:

Usain posted on his social media a photo of Gout and himself with the caption: ‘He looks like young me’

Gout on the comparisons: “Obviously, in the moment, it feels great because everyone wants to be compared to Usain. But at times it does get a bit overwhelming, but now that I’ve grown up and I’m a bit mature, my circle really helps me stay level and I’m just basically trying to make a name for myself. Although I do run like Usain Bolt, I do maybe look like him in a couple of ways. I’m just trying to be myself.”

Age progression at 200m: 14-years – UB 21.81 & GG 21.14, 15-years – UB 20.58 & GG 20.87, 16-years – UB 20.13 & GG 20.02

Gout a strong influence on friends and school students: “..the way they smile when they see me is great. And I just love when their eyes light up, when their face lights up when they see me. It’s great. I would love for the rest of the world for that as well.”

200m over 100m: He doesn’t run 100s at major meets currently has it is considered by his coach, due to his youth, he doesn’t have the power out of the blocks. They will allow him to gradually get stronger. Currently in the gym two days a week.

Australian records currently held: 200m open/U20 20.02, 200m U18 20.04, 200m U16 21.14, 100m U18 10.17, U16 10.57, 4x100m U20 39.12 …. Education: In 2025 in Year 12 at Ipswich Grammar (Brisbane), school prefect … Born: Brisbane, 29 December 2007, aged 17 until 29 December 2025 … Background: parents (Monica and Bona) immigrated from South Sudan arriving in Australia in 2006 …. Siblings: one of 7, he is the third oldest …. Athletics family: mother was a runner at school, older sister was a hurdler, younger brother claims to be faster than Gout… Ht/Wt: in late 2024 1.80m/66kg … Other sports: football/soccer in primary school … Sporting hero: Argentine footballer Lionel Messi ‘I love how he carries himself’, said Gout …

Personal bests:

100m 10.17, 200m 20.02, 400m 46.20

200m PB Progression:

2020 (12y) 23.43

2021 (13y) 23.42, 22.68

2022 (14y) 22.65, 22.14, 21.71, 21.70, 21.15, 21.14

2023 (15y) 21.10, 20.87

2024 (16y) 20.69, 20.60, 20.29, 20.04, 20.02

Notable wind assisted times:

100m: 2024 – 10.04w (3.4); 2025 – 9.99w (3.5), 100m 9.99w (2.6)

200m: 2025 – 19.98w (3.6), 19.84w (2.2)

@ 26 June 2025 david.tarbotton@athletics.org.au