16-yr-old athlete breaks 56-yr-old Australian record
16-year-old athlete breaks 56-yr-old Australian record Gout Gout ran the 200 metres in 20.04 seconds on Saturday at the Australian schools championships, beating the national record which had been held since the 1968 Olympics by Peter Norman.
His run was initially marked at 20.07 seconds but later revised to 20.04 seconds, taking him below the 20.06 seconds run by Norman that won him a silver medal.
With that, Gout becomes the fastest 16-year-old ever and is second in the U-18 category behind USA’s Erriyon Knighton, who clocked 19.84 in 2021.
Usain Bolt is third with a 20.13 back in 2003.
Twenty-year-old Knighton has since won silver and bronze in the World Championships and made it into the final eight at an Olympic Games.
“It’s pretty crazy,” Gout told Reuters.
“Right now, I can’t process it, but I guess tonight, when I go to bed, I’ll think about it. These are adults. Me, I’m just a kid, and I’m running them down.
Gout also clocked the fourth-fastest ever time by an Australian in the 100m heats with 10.04 seconds, although strong winds assisted him in this case.
Now, Gout is focused on breaking the 10-second barrier in the 100m and the 20-second barrier in the 200m.
He will also be focused on the 2032 Olympics, which takes place in Brisbane when he will be 24 – just down the road from where he grew up.
“I’ve always done what I said I would,” Gout added on Saturday. “So if I said something, it’s on my mind, and I’m pursuing it until I get it.” –Skysports
