Faster than Bolt at the same age

Aurélie Sacchelli, Media365: published on Sunday, April 12, 2026 at 12:00

The Australian sprint prodigy, Gout Gout, broke the junior world record for the 200m this Sunday in Sydney. Even the legend Usain Bolt had not run as fast at this age.

He turned 18 last December, and Gout Gout continues his career debut as impressive as it is promising. The Australian sprint prodigy, a semi-finalist in the 200m at the last World Championships in Tokyo, is competing in the Australian Championships this weekend in Sydney. And he won the 200m in the amazing time of 19.67 seconds! This is simply the new junior world record, surpassing the American Erriyon Knighton, who ran in 19.69 in 2022 in Eugene, but is currently serving a four-year suspension for doping violations.

Gout had predicted 19.75

As the current Australian champion, Gout Gout had an excellent start, then was overtaken by Aidan Murphy (22 years old, finishing in 19.88) at the entrance to the final straight, before the prodigy made the difference in the last 30 meters. He won with a favorable wind of 1.7m per second, beating his personal record by 35 hundredths. “This is what I expected. We have incredible athletes in Australia and we push ourselves to our limits. Two runners under 20 seconds, it’s fantastic. Before the race, I checked my notes and I had predicted that I would run in 19.75,” said Gout.

Gout the top global performer of the year

Gout Gout has been compared to Usain Bolt for several years, now surpassing him in the rankings of performances in the junior 200m. The Jamaican had set the world record in 19.93 in 2004, a few months before he turned 18. “It’s a huge weight off my shoulders to know that I set this time under approved conditions, that I have the speed and that my body is capable of running such times. I am ready to go further. It’s good when people compare you to the best in the world. I am myself and I do what I want. I feel no pressure. As soon as I’m on the track, there’s only me, the track, and my spikes,” concluded Gout, who is now the top performer of the year, of all ages, in the half-lap race. But the outdoor season is just beginning.