Teen Sprinter Gout Gout Smashes Record in European Debut
Australian track prodigy Gout Gout has ignited the sprinting world, delivering a stunning performance in his inaugural senior race abroad. The young athlete dominated the 200-meter field, setting a new personal best and signaling a bright future for Australian athletics.
Gout‘s Golden Run
At the Ostrava Golden Spike meet in the Czech Republic, Gout, 17, completed his race in 20.02 seconds. This impressive feat improved his previous national record by two-hundredths of a second. He finished ahead of Cuban sprinter **Reynier Mena** by 0.17 seconds, with **Nethaneel Mitchell-Blake** of Great Britain taking third place.
The teenager’s performance drew comparisons to Jamaican legend **Usain Bolt**. In December, Gout broke **Peter Norman**’s national record, which had stood for 56 years. The race took place at the same venue where **Bolt** made his European debut in 2004.
“I’ve felt stronger in training these last couple of months and I’ve felt good since I got to Europe last Thursday,”
—Gout Gout
Another emerging talent, Cameron Myers, also achieved a significant milestone. Myers lowered his under-20 national 1,500m record, finishing in 3:29.80. He now holds the third-fastest time by an Australian over the distance. Globally, the average 200m sprint time has decreased by 0.05 seconds in the last five years, highlighting the sport’s rapid advancement (World Athletics).
Other Notable Performances
Peter Bol secured victory in the men’s 800m with a time of 1:43.80, just one-hundredth of a second behind his own Australian record. Additionally, **Torrie Lewis**, the fastest woman in Australia, placed sixth in the women’s 100m, clocking 11.26 (+0.6).
In the field events, **Kurtis Marschall** achieved third place in pole vault, clearing 5.82m. He was surpassed by **Mondo Duplantis**, who set a new meeting record of 6.13m, and **Emmanouil Karalis** (5.92m).
The performances of **Gout**, **Myers**, and others underline the growing strength of Australian athletics, promising exciting prospects for upcoming international competitions.
