Faster than Bolt: Gout stuns with a new national record of 19.67s

Teenage star Gout Gout has won the men’s 200m at the Australian Athletics Championships in an astonishing time of 19.67 seconds.

Rival Lachlan Kennedy, who ran a sub-10s time to win the 100m final a day earlier, withdrew from the race but it didn’t matter as the 18-year-old stormed home in a massive personal best.

It is the first time Gout had run under 20s legally, after he achieved the feat last year with an illegal tailwind.

With a legal tailwind of 1.7 metres per second, Gout broke his own record of 20.02s.

“It’s been in my mind this whole year, these past couple of months, so glad I got it for sure,” Gout said of his performance.

“I wrote down 19.75, and for the past week in my head I would tell myself, I’m running 19.75, and obviously 19.67, so you know, got to love it.”

Gout’s performance was also the first time an Australian had run under 20 seconds in the 200m, but incredibly he wasn’t alone, with South Australian sprinter Aidan Murphy also going under the magical time in finishing second. Murphy ran 19.88s after pushing Gout all the way.

“It definitely felt like I had a lot more in the tank, for sure,” Gout said of the home stretch. “And, just knowing me, I just kept pushing it and the time shows.”

Gout’s time makes him faster than Usain Bolt at the same age, with the legendary Olympian only running 19.93 at the age of 18 in 2004. It was a world record at the time. American Erriyon Knighton now holds the record, with a 19.49s in 2022, but Gout’s time is the second-fastest ever run by an 18-year-old.

“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 said.

“I thought today was going to be one of the worser conditions, for sure, but as soon as I saw the sun out, all I need is alright conditions. If it’s alright, the wind’s pretty down, I’m good to go.”

Until Gout finally broke it last year, Peter Norman’s time of 20.04s – run at the 1968 Olympics – stood as Australia’s longest-standing national record for decades, with dozens of elite stars unable to run faster. Just a year on, two Australians have now run under 20 seconds.

More to come.