Australia’s 16-year-old Runs Fourth-fastest Under-18 100m Of All Time

Australian teen sprinter Gout Gout made waves at the All-Schools Athletics Championships in Queensland, delivering an incredible 100m performance.

On Friday, he ran an astonishing 10.04 seconds in the heats, aided by a strong tailwind. While the wind-assisted time doesn’t qualify for official records, it stands as the fourth-fastest 100m ever run by an athlete under 18—and the same ranking for Australian sprinters of any age.

The fastest under-18 100m time belongs to Erriyon Knighton from the United States, who ran a wind-assisted 9.99 seconds in 2021.

Following Knighton are Jelani Watkins and Puripol Boonson, clocking 10.02 seconds in 2021 and 2023, respectively.

Later that day, as conditions calmed, Gout returned for the final and ran a legal 10.17 seconds. This impressive time not only crushed his previous personal best of 10.29 but also broke the Australian under-18 record of 10.27, previously held by Sebastian Sultana.

The performance ranks as the sixth-fastest legal 100m time for an under-18 athlete in history.

“I’ve been after this national record for quite some time! In the heat, I thought I had it, but the tailwind was crazy. I just focused on repeating the same effort in the final, and it paid off,” Gout shared with Athletics Australia.

Gout burst onto the sprinting scene in 2022, clocking a remarkable 10.57 seconds in the 100m at just 14 years old.

Now 16, with his 17th birthday approaching in December, the young Australian is frequently compared to sprinting legend Usain Bolt.

Earlier this year, Gout solidified his reputation when he ran the 200m in 20.60 seconds at the 2024 World Athletics U20 Championships. This was faster than the 20.61-second record set by a 15-year-old Bolt in 2002.

Gout is slated to compete in the 200m event on Saturday in Queensland, a race eagerly anticipated by fans.

Already supported by Adidas and mingling with sprinting elites, Gout’s future looks exceptionally bright.

“In January, I’m heading overseas to train with Noah Lyles and his coach, Lance Brauman. My aim is to qualify for the Tokyo World Championships,” Gout revealed. “If not, I’ll finish my final year of school and keep working toward my goals.”

The young sprinter’s meteoric rise is a testament to his hard work and raw talent, setting the stage for what could be a legendary career.