Gout, after all, set a new 200m world record at the Under-20 level by winning the event at the National Championships in 19.67 seconds. He thus proved to be a fraction-of-a-second quicker than Bolt, who had set a timing of 19.93 seconds at the age of 17 in 2004.
The eight-time Olympic champion’s timing more than two decades ago was a world record at the time, with Bolt not improving on his personal best as a teenager thereafter.
Gout had previously broken Bolt's record for the fastest timing by a 16-year-old in the 200m sprint in December 2024, registering a timing of 20.04 seconds at the Australian schools championships, surpassing the 20.13-second timing set by Bolt at the age of 16 in 2003 in Barbados.18-year-old GOUT GOUT 🇦🇺 19.67s (1.7) over 200m at Australian Championships in Sydney!!🤯🤯
— Track & Field Gazette (@TrackGazette) April 12, 2026
A new U20 World Record ☑️
National Record ☑️
First Australian man under 20 seconds ☑️
A star is born!pic.twitter.com/1GTfFJ4gst
Gout, born in Queensland to South Sudanese parents, had previously set a timing of 19.84 seconds last season, but it was not counted for the world record due to wind assistance.
Born on December 29, 2007 to parents who emigrated from South Sudan, the young sprinter from Queensland is turning track and field into his passport to global stardom.
Coached from the start by veteran trainer Diane Sheppard, Gout went from running 20.87 seconds at age 15, to 20.02 last year during his European debut, and now he’s dropped an astonishing 19.67, a time that already smells like an Olympic medal contender for Los Angeles 2028.
He recently signed a multi‑million‑dollar deal with Adidas worth more than $6 million through 2032 — the year Brisbane will host the Olympic Games, a moment that already feels destined to be special for him.
American sprinter Erriyon Knighton had achieved a timing of 19.49 seconds in 2022, which remains the fastest timing by an U-20 athlete but does not count for the world record.
Aidan Murphy, who collected silver behind Gout in Sunday’s 200m final, also finished with a timing under 20 seconds, making for an incredible finish at the Sydney Olympic Park Athletic Centre.
“This is what I’ve been waiting for,” Gout was quoted by BBC as saying after his record-breaking sprint. “We have such incredible athletes in Australia and me being able to race these athletes, we push each other to the limits. Two Australians sub-20. I mean, this is amazing.
“There’s a big weight off my shoulders knowing I ran it legally, and I have the speed and my body to run times like that. So, it definitely feels great, and ready for more.”
Gout will be 20 during the 2028 Olympic Games, which will be taking place in Los Angeles, and is expected to be among the athletes to watch out for in the next edition of the world’s biggest multi-sporting event.
