Running News Daily

Gout Gout Clocks Back-to-Back 9.99s at Age 17

Dipping under the 10-second barrier in the 100 meters is a major milestone for any sprinter. For 17-year-old Australian sensation Gout Gout, doing it once wasn’t enough.

At the Australian Athletics Championships on Thursday, Gout stunned the crowd by running 9.99 seconds in his 100m heat—powered by a +3.4 m/s tailwind. Less than two hours later, he backed it up with an identical 9.99 in the final, this time with a +2.6 m/s wind. While the wind speeds mean neither time is eligible for record purposes, the message was clear: Gout Gout has arrived.

Including wind-aided marks, his performance ranks as the second-fastest 100m in the world this year, tying South Africa’s Bayanda Walaza, who ran 9.99 in March. More importantly, it obliterates the Australian and Oceanian U20 record of 10.15—but again, due to the excessive wind, the record books won’t recognize it.

Wind readings over +2.0 m/s are deemed illegal in sprinting, as they can artificially enhance performance—typically by about 0.1 seconds in the 100m. For Gout, this wasn’t the first time nature interfered with history. Back in December, as a U18 athlete, he clocked 10.04 with a +3.4 m/s wind. His current official personal best remains 10.17 seconds.

Still, the young sprinter isn’t letting wind readings define him.

“Sub-10 is something every sprinter hopes for,” Gout said. “To gain that sub-10 definitely boosts my confidence, especially for my main event—the 200m.”

And that’s not just talk. Gout broke the Australian 200m record in December at just 16 years old, clocking a blistering 20.04 seconds. With that time, he announced himself as a true global prospect.

The Australian 100m record of 9.93, set by Patrick Johnson in 2003, remains untouched—for now. But if Gout Gout keeps this trajectory, and gets the wind on his side, he may not only rewrite national records—he might just chase global ones.

Is Gout Gout the Next Usain Bolt?

While it’s tempting to draw comparisons between Gout Gout and Usain Bolt, especially given their early successes and similar event specializations, it’s important to recognize that Gout is carving his own path. Notably, he broke Bolt’s under-18 200m record by running 20.04 seconds, surpassing Bolt’s 20.13-second mark at the same age .

Usain Bolt’s world records stand at 9.58 seconds for the 100m and 19.19 seconds for the 200m, both set in 2009. Gout’s current legal personal bests are 10.17 seconds for the 100m and 20.04 seconds for the 200m . While there’s still a gap between their times, Gout’s trajectory suggests he could become a formidable competitor on the world stage