He’s only 16 and is already one of Australia’s highest profile runners, by virtue of social media virality.
And Queensland sprinter Gout Gout is going global – yet again – after a dominant run at the World Athletics under 20s championships in Lima, Peru overnight.
Gout cruised to victory in his heat in the 200m at the meet, where the world’s best and brightest young talent are competing. It’s not just future Olympians, either, with Paris Olympians Torrie Lewis, Claudia Hollingsworth and Peyton Craig all competing in Lima for Australia.
But Gout is the name with all the attention after another eye-catching run. He won his heat by a huge distance and stopped the clock at 20.77s, but Gout also slowed down for the last 20-30 metres.
He later progressed to the final on Saturday morning (AEST) with another measured run of 21.07s but can threaten his own Australian under 18 record of 20.69, and the Australian under 20 record of 20.41s will also be in play.
Gout Gout celebrates after winning the under-18 men’s 200m final in 2023.Credit: Casey Sims
The eye-catching nature of Gout’s deeds have made him a viral sensation in recent months. Leading into the under 20s meet, Gout’s dominant victories in Australian races – and a PB of 10.29 seconds in the 100m – were picked up by viral accounts on X and Facebook, and spun around the globe. They attracted millions of views.
Gout, whose parents migrated to Australia from South Sudan two years before he was born, has been emerging as a future Australian athletics star for several years and – if he continues on the same trajectory – could become the hometown hero of the Brisbane Olympics in 2032.
The lanky teenager holds the Australian under 16 records for the 100m (10.57s) and 200m (21.41s) and this year lowered his 100m time to 10.29s – which was the same time Rohan Browning – and 200m to 20.69s, which gave him the Australian under 18 record.
