One’s a rising star, the other’s an Olympic veteran, and both ‘turned it on’ at the Australian Athletics Championships.
Running prodigy Gout Gout and veteran Peter Bol lit up the Perth track today, leaving the crowd roaring.
In the fastest run yet of Gout Gout’s mesmerising sprint career, the teen prodigy clocked a wind-assisted 19.84 seconds over 200 metres at the Australian championships on Sunday.
In doing so, the 17-year-old secured his maiden open-age national title and leapfrogged three Olympic gold medallists, including Usain Bolt.
The Ipswich product’s highly anticipated rematch with Brisbane sprinter Lachie Kennedy went up in smoke when the latter was disqualified for a false start.
Racing the clock and only the clock, having seen his only genuine rival wiped in cruel scenes, Gout then proceeded to lay down the second-fastest “all conditions” time by an under-20 athlete in history.
Assisted by an illegal Perth wind of +2.2 metres per second, he posted 19.84 to propel himself over Letsile Tebogo (19.96), Bolt (19.93) and Justin Gatlin (19.86). All three of those men are an Olympic gold medallist in the 100m and/or 200m.
As of Sunday, the only under-20 athlete who’s run quicker than Gout in any conditions is Erriyon Knighton, who clocked 19.49 aided by a legal wind of +1.4 metres per second in 2022.
“I didn’t really feel the wind too much. Obviously it was +2.2 … I just used it to my advantage, I guess,” Gout told reporters trackside.
“I took off, got a nice flick, and just sent it down the home straight.
“These are the steps we take to the top, and these are the steps I have to take to potentially become a world champion or an Olympic champion. So if I can make these little steps, focus on the little things, I think I can take it far.”
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