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Australian teen sprinter had a perfect weekend by smashing several records, including the legendary Usain Bolt's age-16 best. Here's a breakdown that now classifies the youngster a future all-time great.
At the All Schools Championships in Brisbane, rising sprint sensation Gout Gout blazed his way to the history books by becoming the fastest Australian sprinter in 56 years, further stamping his name to the hype as the next Usain Bolt.
The 16-year-old began his exceptional quest on Friday (December 6th) with an astonishing wind-aided 10.04s to win his 100m heat - the fourth-fastest all-conditions time in Australian history.
In the final, he shattered Sebastian Sultana’s U18 national record of 10.27s to a legal 10.17s, further cementing his name that he's well on the path to being the greatest Australian sprinter in history.
Not resting on his oars, Gout returned for the 200m heat on Saturday, first effortlessly running 20.38s - a time good enough for some adult sprinters.
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20:16 - 04.12.2024
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A few hours later, the talented sprinter won in a jaw-dropping 20.04s, thus breaking Peter Norman's long-standing Australian national record of 20.06s clocked to win silver at the 1968 Olympics.
Following his unprecedented weekend, here are 5 history-making records broken by the Australian teen star.
1 - National U18 Record - fastest Australian 100m sprinter in 31 years
Gout, who turns 17 later this month, his incredible wind-aided 10.04s (3.4m/s) to win his 100m heat on Friday, isn't just the fourth-fastest all-conditions time in Australian history but made him the fastest man from his country in 31 years.
Likewise, shattering Sebastian Sultana’s U18 National Record of 10.27s to a legal 10.17s in the final makes him the sixth-fastest in world history.
2 - National U18 Record - fastest Australian 200m sprinter in 56 years
By winning the 200m event in a jaw-dropping time of 20.04s on Saturday, he broke Peter Norman's long-standing Australian senior national record of 20.06s clocked to win silver at the 1968 Olympics.
More impressive is that Norman had held the 200m record for longer than 50 years, since that high-altitude Mexico City final. He is now comfortably on the path to being the greatest sprinter in Australian history.
3 - Usain Bolt's Age-16 Best - Second-fastest teenager in history
Gout Gout's time is the fastest ever by a teenager, smashing Bolt's age 16 best of 20.13s and became the second-fastest by an athlete under the age of 18 - behind Erriyon Knighton's 19.84s as a 17-year-old in 2021. In addition, he hit the qualifying standard of 20.16s for the World Championships in Tokyo next year.
At 6ft 2in, his speed and running style have earned him comparisons with the legendary Usain Bolt. He is now being touted not just to challenge these events but to rule them as the iconic Jamaican by winning both 100m and 200m at the 2032 Brisbane Olympics.
4 - Oceania Record
By breaking the Australian record, his time also broke the long-standing Oceania record of 20.06s set by Peter Norman.
This means he is not just the fastest in his country's history but also the Oceania continent.
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