Gout Gout has exploded into the history books, becoming the first Australian to legally break the 20-second barrier in the 200 meters. The 18-year-old sprint sensation blazed to a stunning 19.67 seconds at the national championships in Sydney, obliterating his own previous national record of 20.02 seconds.
“I’ve been chasing it ever since I got that illegal sub-20 [seconds],” Gout said. “It’s been on my mind this whole year and this past couple of months, so, I’m glad I got it.”
Gout’s time, achieved with a legal tailwind of +1.7 meters per second, now ranks him among the top 20 fastest 200m runners of all time. It also sets a new under-20 world record, pending ratification by World Athletics.
“It’s absolutely insane,” he added. “You could say it’s a big weight off my shoulders knowing that I ran it legally and I have the speed in my body to run times like that.”
Aidan Murphy pushed Gout hard down the straight, finishing second with a time of 19.88 seconds. That mark now stands as the second-fastest 200m ever run by an Australian, surpassing Peter Norman’s historic 1968 time of 20.06 seconds.
“I wrote down 19.75 [seconds] and for the past week in my head I’ve been telling myself I’m running 19.75 and obviously – 19.67 – you’ve got to love it,” Gout revealed.
Gout’s previous best was a wind-assisted 19.84 seconds (+2.2m/s) at last year’s Australian Athletics Championships. This performance, however, was fully legal and under immense pressure from Murphy in the absence of 100m champion Lachie Kennedy.
Kennedy withdrew from the 200m event on Sunday morning, hours before he was due to compete. His management cited precautionary reasons, noting it’s only his third competition of the year as he prepares for a long season ahead.
“Wait and see. See how that body pulls up. Listen to the experts, physios and all that, but yeah, we’ll see,” Kennedy said after winning the 100m on Saturday night.
Kennedy’s withdrawal robbed fans of a highly anticipated rematch after he defeated Gout in their second duel at the Maurie Plant Meet last month. A stress fracture in his back forced Kennedy to miss last year’s World Championships, and he has emphasized the need for recovery time this season.
Gout, who finished school at the end of last year, credited his full-time training focus for the breakthrough. “I definitely think the training’s been working, and the training’s been proving to me that I can run fast,” he stated.
In other events, Peter Bol secured his fifth national title in the men’s 800m, holding off a strong challenge from teenager Daniel Williams. Bol finished ahead of Luke Boyes and Bob Abdelrahim, with Williams placing fourth.
“I’m still surviving out here, it’s not getting any easier,” Bol said. “So much passion, so many young guys coming along and it’s good that they’re pushing hard, they also push me to be better.”
Abbey Caldwell upset Claudia Hollingsworth in the women’s 800m, overtaking the 1500m champion with 60 meters to go. Jess Hull, who fell in the 1500m final and withdrew from the 800m, won the women’s 5000m ahead of Linden Hall.
