Australian sprinter Gout Gout breaks under-20 record with blazing 200m time, surpassing legendary Olympian Usain Bolt

Australian sprinter Gout Gout breaks under-20 record with blazing 200m time, surpassing legendary Olympian Usain Bolt

Watch out, Usain Bolt, because there’s a new track and field phenom who’s coming to break all your records. Australian sprinter Gout Gout already took a major step in that direction Sunday, beating one of Bolt’s best performances.

Gout’s record-setting performance came during the 200m event at the Australian Championships in Sydney.

After getting off the block fairly quickly, Gout, 18, needed to make up some time in the first stretch. He not only managed that, but seemed to build speed as the event went on, eventually pulling ahead of the pack by a fair distance in the final strides.

Gout’s final time of 19.67 surpassed Bolt’s best under-20 (U20) performance in the 200m, when he posted a 19.93 time in 2004.

Gout’s record still needs to be ratified by World Athletics. One other record-breaking performance, a 19.49 set by Erriyon Knighton in 2022, was not ratified due to “specific anti-doping testing requirements” that were not met, per World Athletics. Because of that, Gout’s 19.67 is the U20 record.

That U20 distinction is important, as Gout did not break an overall world record with his 19.67. He broke the 200m record for any sprinter under 20 years of age. His time of 19.67 was faster than any time Bolt was able to post when he was 20 or younger. Bolt, however, went on a shatter that time after he moved out of the U20 division.

Bolt holds numerous world records, including the record for fastest-ever 200m performance. Bolt managed a 19.19 in the event in 2009, making him the overall record holder for the 200m. He also has eight gold medals under his belt, making him one of the most successful and decorated Olympians of his era. His legacy is safe … for now, at least.

But Gout’s record-setting performance obviously deserves attention. Any sprinter who can say they were faster than Bolt at the same age should be recognized as a potential future star in the sport. Gout still has a ways to go before he’s competing for Olympic records, but Sunday’s performance offers optimism he could challenge the very best in the world before long.