17-year-old Gout Gout runs sub-10 100m–twice
On Thursday, the teenage pro sprinter matched the fastest time in the world this year at his national championships in Perth, Australia
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Australian Athletics
Dipping under the 10-second barrier for the first time is a big deal, especially for a 17-year-old. But for Australia’s Gout Gout, once wasn’t enough. At the Australian Athletics Championships on Thursday, the teen sensation clocked a mind-boggling 9.99 seconds (+3.4 m/s wind) in the 100m heats, and in the final less than two hours later, matched that time (+2.6 m/s wind). Including all non-legal marks, the performance is the second-fastest 100m in the world this year.
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Gout’s performance equals Bayanda Walaza of South Africa’s world lead from March, and crushes the national and Oceanian U20 record of 10.15, but will not count as an official time due to illegal winds. Tailwind speeds exceeding 2.0 m/s are deemed illegal in sprinting, as stronger winds are considered to aid the racers. Wind assistance can impact times by about 0.1 seconds, a substantial difference in the world of sprinting.
“Sometimes it’s frustrating,” the Adidas pro sprinter told The Guardian. “But you know, you can’t control what you can’t control, and the wind is obviously a thing you can’t control. You’ve got to learn how to run with it or run against it.”
This isn’t the first time the weather conditions have denied Gout a place in history; in December, he clocked 10.04 as a U18 athlete, but because of illegal tailwinds (+3.4 m/s), his official best stands at 10.17 seconds.
“Sub-10 is something every sprinter hopes for,” he said. “To gain that sub-10 definitely boosts my confidence, especially for my main event–the 200m.” Gout broke the Australian 200m record in December at just 16, achieving a massive personal best of 20.04 seconds. The Australian 100m record of 9.93 seconds, belonging to Patrick Johnson, has stood unchallenged since 2003.
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Racing in the U20 division, Gout easily ran away with the 100m national title. The second and third-place finishers, Josiah John and Hugh Kabengele, ran 10.27 and 10.48 seconds, respectively.
Beginning with heats on Friday, Gout will also be racing in the open 200m.
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