Gout Gout broke the under-20 world record in the 200 metres, becoming faster than Usain Bolt at the same age.
Published on 12 April 2026
Teenage sprint sensation Gout Gout has broken the world under-20 record in the 200m with a timing of 19.67 seconds to win the race at the Australian Athletics Championships.
Gout became the first Australian to break the 20-second barrier in Sydney on Sunday, with his record-breaking feat making him faster than Jamaican great Usain Bolt at the same age.
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Fellow Australian Aidan Murphy also crossed the 20-second mark, finishing second with 19.88 – the two fastest times of the year, both achieved with legal tailwinds.
“This is what I’ve been waiting for,” Gout said at the Sydney Olympic Park Athletic Centre.
“We have such incredible athletes in Australia, and me being able to race these athletes, we push each other to the limit. Two Australian under-20s. I mean, it’s amazing.”
Gout’s brilliant effort with a legal +1.7-metre-per-second tailwind meant the 18-year-old defended her 200m title and put her rivals on notice.
She also bettered her national record of 20.02 set last year, surpassing the previous World Under-20 mark set by Erion Knighton.
Gout’s record run is the first time he has gone below 20 seconds in legal conditions, having achieved the feat with the help of a tailwind last year when he clocked 19.84 at the national championships.
The 18-year-old came into limelight in 2024 when he clocked 20.04 seconds at the Australian All Schools Athletics Championships.
This broke Peter Norman’s national record of 20.06 set at the 1968 Olympics and was the fastest ever recorded by a 16-year-old.
He improved to 20.02 but had never legally gone below 20 seconds before.
His time was faster than Bolt, who had run 19.93 at the same age in 2004.
Gout said, “Knowing that I ran it legally is a huge burden off my shoulders and I have the speed and my body to run for this long. So, it definitely feels great, and I’m ready for more.”
“I wrote 19.75 seconds , and for the past week I’ve been telling myself in my head that I’m going to run 19.75 seconds and obviously – 19.67 – you’re going to love it.”
Gout’s race occurred on the final day of competition, when his main rival Lachlan Kennedy pulled out of the 200 meters race as a precaution, with his management citing the need to manage his workload early in the long season.
Kennedy nevertheless underlined his form on Saturday by winning the 100 meters in 9.96 seconds, repeating the same time when he became the first Australian to break 10 seconds on home soil.
His withdrawal left fans with a tough race after the Maury Plant meet last month, when Kennedy won his duel with gout.
Gout, the son of South Sudanese immigrants, has attracted global attention for his rapid growth and running style, drawing comparisons to Bolt as he emerges as one of the most exciting young talents in sprinting.
