Whizz kid Gout Gout breezed into the 120m final at Stawell Gift on Saturday as race organisers consider an historic decision.
The teenage sprinter is appearing at the meet after receiving a $50,000 (£24,000) sponsorship from local businessman Sandy McGregor.
Meanwhile, Gout will pocket $40,000 in prize money if he wins Monday’s final.
Event organisers are even considering installing crash bags at the finish line for the first time.
The decision has been caused by Gout’s blistering pace at the 148-year-old event.
Spokesman Trent Taylor explained: “There is talk of a crash bag but I don’t think we’re going to need it.
“We’re just putting all these contingencies in place in case they actually need them.”
It comes after Gout broke the 20-second barrier in the 200m at last week’s Australian Championship.
The 17-year-old then comfortably advanced from his heat on Saturday.
His appearance at the event is down to McGregor’s sponsorship, with the wealthy athletics fan explaining: “I’d give him $100,000, I think he’d be worth every cent. He will generate at least 50 grand in ticket sales.”
McGregor has even offered to continue supporting Gout moving forward by paying for his training and travel.
He added: “I give away half a million a year in sponsorships in the western district, some of the time it’s the Stawell Gift.”
Gout has been compared to Usain Bolt after bursting onto the scene in 2024.
As well as the national record in the 200m, he has also clocked the continental record for the 100m at 10.17 seconds.
His star power means McGregor is expecting plenty of interest in the meet this weekend.
He admitted: “I would be surprised if they don’t sell out both days. Gout is even going to come and start the egg-and-spoon race for me [at Stawell].”
McGregor had wanted to provide even more for Gout than his $50,000 sponsorship.
His original proposal would have seen event organisers put together a $1million fund over a five to 10-year period to have Gout and other top athletes appear.
He continued: “[What] I wanted to do was put together a fund of $1 million a year funded by rich people that goes into a pool in his [Gout’s] name and goes into getting the best foot racers in the world.
“Channel Seven will get 1.2 million viewers this year. And they would be thinking, ‘What if we can do this every year?’. You would have to have serious runners though – the best runners in the world.”
