South Sudanese Teen Among World’s Fastest Under 18

(Prague) – Gout Gout, a 17 year old Australian sprint prodigy with South Sudanese roots, is preparing for his European debut after stunning performances at the Australian Athletics Championships. The young athlete whose parents migrated from South Sudan to Australia is quickly rising as one of the most promising names in international sprinting.

Gout recently clocked 9.99 seconds in the 100 metres and 19.84 seconds in the 200 metres at the national championships in April. While both times were aided by a tailwind exceeding the legal limit, they still placed him among the fastest teenage sprinters in history. His record breaking form has drawn global attention ahead of his European premiere in Ostrava, Czech Republic, at the Golden Spike meet.

Despite his success in the 100 metres, Gout said he prefers the 200-metre race, which allows him more time to reach and maintain top speed. “I definitely like 200 more than 100 because 100 is a bit too short for me,” he told reporters. “You get the start and then you’re already at the finish line.”

His rapid rise began last December when he clocked 20.04 seconds in the 200 metres, the fastest time ever by a 16 year old, beating the age record previously held by Jamaican sprint legend Usain Bolt. Gout said he was honoured by the comparisons. “Usain Bolt is the epitome of sprinting,” he said. “If I could be on that level and just put my little bit of style onto it… just being compared to the best sprinter of all time is definitely something I appreciate.”

Gout has spent the months following the Australian championships focused on strength training and improving his starts. He has not competed since April, choosing instead to prepare for the tougher European track season. “I’m just building up my strength and really trying to get in the gym and get to the next level,” he said.

He is now setting his sights on the Diamond League event in Monaco on July 11, followed by the World Championships in Tokyo this September. “Obviously the world championships is the main goal and I just want to see what I can do on the world stage against professional athletes,” he said. “I just want to get out there and kind of prove myself.”