A 16-year-old sprinter from Australia has become a viral sensation after fan footage of his 100m race at the Queensland Athletics Championships surfaced online.
Gout Gout, born in Brisbane in 2007 to South Sudanese parents who migrated to Australia two years prior, is now being hailed as the next Usain Bolt by many.
Gout’s rise to prominence began shortly after receiving his first pair of spikes at Ipswich Grammar School in South East Queensland. His raw speed quickly caught the attention of onlookers, and by age 14, he was clocking an impressive 100m time of 10.57 seconds.
Under the guidance of coach Diane Sheppard, Gout’s technique rapidly improved. Reflecting on his progress in November 2022, Sheppard told Athletics Australia: “Six or eight months ago, he looked like one of those inflatable things that blow around in car yards. His arms were out of control.” She acknowledged that while critics often comment on his less-than-perfect start, they overlook the fact that “the kid hasn’t even got full control of his limb length yet.”
Just 12 months later, Gout was not only comfortable on the track but was also breaking national records. He currently holds the Australian under-16 records for both the 100m and 200m. Last year, he ran 20.87 seconds to win the under-18 men’s 200m final at the Australian Junior Athletics Championships in Brisbane. In January, he shaved that time down to 20.69 seconds—just 0.11 seconds shy of Usain Bolt’s time at the same age.
Then, in March, Gout recorded a personal best of 10.29 seconds to win the under-18 boys’ 100m at the 2024 Queensland Athletics Championships—a race that has since garnered millions of views online.
Although the record-breaking run happened months ago, the footage has recently gone viral on X, formerly known as Twitter.
One user captured the collective astonishment, posting: “Read about a 16-year-old Sudanese kid in Australia who ran 100m in 10.2 seconds this year. Found the footage—freakin’ ridiculous. His name is Gout Gout, remember the name. No way is this kid not gonna be an Olympian one day.”
