Seventeen-year-old Australian sprinting sensation Gout Gout has stunned the athletics world after clocking an astonishing 9.99 seconds in the 100-metre sprint at the Australian Athletics Championships in Perth.
The blistering time, achieved in the preliminary heats, marks the first time Gout has dipped under the coveted 10-second barrier. However, the performance was aided by a tailwind of +3.5 metres per second — above the legal limit of +2.0 m/s — meaning the run will not count as an official record.
Still, the result has cemented the teenager’s growing reputation as one of the brightest sprinting prospects in the world.
Gout, who has South Sudanese heritage and hails from Ipswich in Queensland, has already turned heads in the athletics community. In March, he broke Usain Bolt’s long-standing age-group record for the 200 metres, running a legal 20.04 seconds — a staggering performance for someone so early in their career.
His fastest legal time for the 100m remains 10.17 seconds, but experts believe it’s only a matter of time before he officially joins the elite club of sub-10-second sprinters.
How Does Gout’s Time Compare to the Best in History?
Although wind-assisted, Gout’s 9.99-second sprint places him in rarefied territory. Only a select group of athletes have ever broken the 10-second barrier — a benchmark long viewed as the defining line between elite and world-class sprinters.
The current world record is held by Usain Bolt, who ran 9.58 seconds at the 2009 World Championships in Berlin — a time that still stands more than 15 years later. Behind Bolt, notable figures include Tyson Gay and Yohan Blake (both at 9.69), and Asafa Powell (9.72).
Australia’s national record for the men’s 100m is 9.93 seconds, set by Patrick Johnson in 2003 — the only Australian to run a legal sub-10 to date. If Gout eventually betters this mark under legal conditions, he would become just the second Australian man in history to officially break 10 seconds.
Bolt himself has acknowledged Gout’s potential, saying the young Australian reminds him of his younger self. The Jamaican sprinting icon, whose world records in the 100m and 200m remain untouched, urged Gout to stay focused and consistent.
“Keep working hard,” Bolt reportedly said, “and the results will follow.”
“You don’t run 9.99 — even with a strong tailwind — unless you’ve got serious top-end speed,” said Athletics Australia sprint coach Paul Taylor. “He’s shown composure, technical ability and raw power well beyond his years.”
Gout’s breakthrough comes amid a surge of young Australian talent in track and field, with rising stars making their mark in both national and international meets. With the 2026 Commonwealth Games in sight and the Brisbane 2032 Olympics on the horizon, Gout’s trajectory has sparked fresh hopes for a new golden era in Australian athletics.
After his 9.99-second run, Gout remained humble. “It felt really good out there,” he told reporters. “Obviously, I know it doesn’t count officially, but it’s a big confidence boost. I’ve been working hard and I’m just trying to get better every time I race.”
Born in 2007, Gout began running competitively only a few years ago but quickly rose through the ranks thanks to his explosive pace and relentless training ethic. His coaches say he’s just scratching the surface of his potential.
With the fast track conditions in Perth and his steady progression, it seems increasingly likely that Gout’s next legal personal best will come sooner rather than later.
“We’re watching a future star,” said former Olympian and commentator Tamsyn Manou. “The way he carries himself — the calmness, the drive — reminds me of some of the greats. This is only the beginning.”
Follow @gout.goutt
Read also How Greek Yiayias Are the Secret Wellness Gurus of 2025
Stay updated with the latest news from Greece and around the world on greekcitytimes.com.
Contact our newsroom to share your updates, stories, photos, or videos. Follow GCT on Google News and Apple News.
