Drop Breaks USAIN BOLT Record as World’s Fastest 16-Year-Old in 200m

Gout Gout broke Usain Bolt’s record as the fastest 16-year-old in 200m history, clocking 20.04 seconds at the Australian All Schools Championships in Brisbane on Saturday.

Gout broke Usain Bolt’s record for 16-year-olds by 20.13 seconds from 2003. Goute turns 17 on December 29. The only men in history to have run faster than 20.04 at the age of 17 are American Erriyon Knighton (19.84) and Bolt (19.93).

Gout also went under the entry standard of 20.16 for next September’s outdoor world championships in Tokyo.

“These are adult times and me, just a kid – I run them,” Gout said, According to the Australian Athletics Federation. “It’s going to be a great future for sure.”

Drop of this world

In 20.04 seconds, 16-year-old Gout Gout sprinted through athletics history as Australia’s fastest man over 200m, undercutting Peter Norman’s Australian Games record of 20.06 1968 Olympics.

20.04 (+1.5). The oldest record of books is… pic.twitter.com/wvppsebbap

– Athletics Australia (@athsaust) December 7, 2024

Gout also broke the Australian all-ages record of 20.06 set by Peter Norman when he ran at Silver at the 1968 Mexico City Olympics. Norman wore an Olympic draft for the human rights badge on the medal podium in support of gold and bronze medalists Tommie Smith and John Carlos.

“I didn’t expect it to be that fast, but I guess I ran the fastest in Australia in the 200m,” Gout said. “I chased this record, but I didn’t think it would come this year. I was thinking maybe next year or the year after that.

Gout was born in Brisbane two years after his parents moved to Australia from South Sudan. He took silver in the 200m at the World U20 Championships in August in Lima, Peru, in a then-personal best 20.60. He turned professional in October, signing with Adidas.

“My video went viral right before the world juniors and that already created pressure,” Gout said. “But you know what they say, pressure makes diamonds, and I guess I’m better than a diamond right now. We’re just taking baby steps; beating my PB by 0.01 and 0.02. Chasing that big under-20, it’ll be great for sure, but I’m not expecting too much.”

Olympic 100m gold medalist Noah Lyles posted on Gout’s Instagram on Friday after Gout ran a 10.04 with a wind followed by a legitimate personal best of 10.17.

“Congratulations on your many great moments this year,” Lyles posted. “I also heard that you’re planning on coming to train with the group for a few weeks. See you soon.”