Gout Gout opens up on the turning point that ignited his superstar dream
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Reading Time: 3min | Tue. 25.03.25. | 12:39
His legal personal best in the 100m stands at 10.17 seconds, a time he clocked at the Australian All-Schools Championships in Brisbane last December
Rising sprint sensation Gout Gout never imagined he would one day be a household name in international athletics.
In an interview with 7NEWS, the Australian sprinter, who has been making headlines with his blistering performances, recalled a pivotal moment that set him on the path to greatness.
During a high school inter-house competition, Gout found himself racing against the state champion in his age group, who was a year younger than him.
Against the odds, he emerged victorious, an achievement that caught the attention of his coach, Di Sheppard.
After the race, Sheppard whispered words that would change Gout’s life forever.
“‘I believe you can be someone; you can be one of the fastest in Australia, fastest in the world.’ And that touched me. From then I’ve been training with a coach, and we’ve just been building on that,” Gout revealed.
His journey since then has been nothing short of remarkable.
However, the weight of expectations has not always been easy to bear.
When a video of him sprinting to victory went viral, many people likened him to world 100 and 200m record holder Usain Bolt.
He quickly became sick of them, declaring he was a star in his own right and not just the next Bolt.
“At times it does get a bit overwhelming but, now that I’ve grown up, I’m a bit mature and my circle helps me stay level. I’m just trying to make a name for myself. My dream is to be one of the best athletes in track and field that Australia has ever seen,” Gout said.
Gout has set his sights on the grandest stages in athletics. The 17-year-old aspires to compete at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics and the 2032 Brisbane Olympics.
“I just want to show the world that I’m Gout and that I’m here to stay, and the Olympics is the best place to do that,” he asserted.
Gout’s performances on the track have been nothing short of extraordinary.
His legal personal best in the 100m stands at 10.17 seconds, a time he clocked at the Australian All-Schools Championships in Brisbane last December.
On the same weekend, he shattered Peter Norman’s 56-year-old national 200m record, running 20.04 seconds, a time that would have placed him sixth in the 200m final at the Paris 2024 Olympics.
Since then, he has continued to dominate, breaking Norman’s time twice more.
His 200m heat run at the Queensland Athletics Championships clocked in at 20.05 seconds, and in the final, he stunned spectators with an astonishing 19.98.
However, the time did not enter the record books due to excessive tailwind assistance.
Gout is now poised to make his much-anticipated debut against senior runners at the Maurie Plant Meeting in Melbourne on Saturday, 29 March.
He is also expected to be a strong contender for the 100m and 200m titles at the 2025 World Championships in Tokyo.
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