Teenage sprint sensation Gout Gout has set the athletics world alight yet again by recording the fastest 200metre time this year.
Gout, who won the 100m crown at the Queensland Athletics State Championships on Saturday, blitzed the field in the 200m final and clocked an absurd wind-assisted time of 19.98 seconds.
Unfortunately for the 17-year-old, his time did not officially count as his +3.6 tailwind was over the +2.0 threshold.
However, his time of 20.05s in the 200m heat with a +1.2 wind was declared official.
Gout’s sizzling sprint in the heat was the quickest 200m time recorded this year across all ages, eclipsing Zimbabwe’s Makanakaishe Charamba who clocked 20.13s at an event in Texas.
Speaking after his race, Gout opened up on his rollercoaster of emotions during the event itself.
“I had an unsteady start, and to be honest, after that I didn’t really feel like running,” Gout said.
“But it felt pretty good. I came off the bend and I just kept sending it. I felt the wind behind me, so I was like, let me just use it.
“And then I saw the clock, and when it got rounded down, I just couldn’t be happier.”
Gout added the crowd that turned out to watch the final spurred him on to crack the elusive 20-second barrier.
“It feels great because I’ve been at that stage, watching Usain Bolt on the news and just getting goosebumps,” Gout said.
“Giving people goosebumps, it definitely feels great and I wish I can continue giving people more goosebumps that’s for sure.
“In my heat, there was no crowd, so when I came out (for the final) from warming up, I looked up behind me and there was this huge crowd.
“It just helps me run faster, for sure.”
Although it did not officially count, Gout’s time of 19.98s places him just behind sprint legend Usain Bolt‘s fastest 200m time at the same age, which was 19.93s.
However, he still entered elite company as he became just the seventh athlete aged under 20 to break the 20-second barrier in any condition.
With his latest event in the books, Gout has now beaten the World Athletics Championship qualifying time of 20.16 twice this season.
The teen clocked a personal best of 20.04s in the 200m at the Australian All-Schools Championship last December.
Gout’s time broke Peter Norman’s 56-year record to become the fastest Australian in the 200m event.
Athletics fans won’t have to wait long for Gout’s next tilt at greatness, as the 17-year-old is set to feature at the Maurie Plant meet in Melbourne on March 29.
