Gout Gout Breaks His Own 200m Australian Record in First International Race
OSTRAVA — Australian teenage sprinter Gout Gout clocked 20.02 seconds to break his own national 200-meter record Tuesday during his first senior race abroad.
The 17-year-old crossed the finish line ahead of Cuba’s Reynier Mena and Great Britain’s Nethaneel Mitchell-Blake at the Golden Spike meet in Ostrava. His time shaved 0.02 seconds off the previous national record he set in December 2024.
Gout entered the home straight trailing Mena but surged ahead in the final 50 meters to win by 0.17 seconds. Mitchell-Blake placed third in 20.60 seconds.
“New personal best, new national record, and my first European race,” Gout said after the race. “I just go out there and run. Nothing stops me from doing that.”
The sprint marked a significant moment in Gout’s career. It was his first sanctioned competition in Europe, and the time now stands as the 11th fastest 200m mark of the 2025 season globally.
Earlier this year, Gout ran a wind-assisted 19.84 seconds at the Australian Championships in Perth. That time was invalidated due to a tailwind of 2.2 meters per second, above the allowable limit. Despite that, his sub-20 potential drew attention worldwide.
In 2023, Gout broke Peter Norman’s long-standing Australian 200m record, which had remained untouched for nearly 60 years. He has also dipped below 10 seconds twice in the 100m, though both sprints were wind-aided.
With his rising profile, Gout has secured a place on Australia’s national team for the upcoming World Championships in Tokyo this September. His form puts him in direct contention with elite sprinters like reigning world champion Noah Lyles and Olympic champion Letsile Tebogo of Botswana.
Gout’s unique combination of height, relaxed form, and raw pace continues to draw comparisons to Usain Bolt. While still in his teens, his rapid rise places him among the world’s fastest young athletes.
Up next, Gout is expected to race in more European meets ahead of Tokyo, where he’ll look to make his mark on the global stage.
