Nationwide — A 17-year-old Black teen named Gout Gout, who is from Australia but whose parents are from South Sudan, recently made history when he broke the 10-second barrier in the 100-meter sprint twice on the same day at the Australian Athletics Championships in Perth. Although the times were impressive, they won’t officially count due to illegal wind conditions.
In the heat, Gout made a strong start and finished with ease, saving energy for the final. In the final, he didn’t start as well but powered through the middle of the race to finish ahead.
“That’s what I was hoping for. I didn’t get the start I anticipated but I just focused on what I needed to focus on, got through my drive phase and kept driving and saw the clock, so can’t be happier than that,” Gout said after the race, according to CNN.
He first gained international attention in 2022 after running 10.57 seconds at just 14 years old. Earlier this year, Gout ran a world-leading 20.05 seconds in the 200m, just 0.01 off his national record. He later became the first Australian to break the 20-second barrier for 200m, clocking 19.98 seconds, though both performances were also affected by illegal wind conditions.
Gout, often compared to Usain Bolt, remains focused on his training and future. “Obviously there are those moments when the media gets too much but, at this moment, I just let it sink in and focus on training, focus on my race and get the job done,” he said.