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SPRINT sensation Gout Gout has achieved an extraordinary U18 100 metre world record… but it won’t be officially acknowledged.
The 16-year-old Australian prodigy recorded a time of 10.04 seconds during the national All-Schools Athletics Championships held in Queensland on Friday.
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Gout outshone his rivals by a considerable margin, breaking the former U18 world record of 10.06 held by American Christian Miller and Thailand’s Puripol Boonson.
Despite this incredible accomplishment, Gout’s time is deemed invalid due to an excessive tailwind of 3.4m/sec.
Interestingly, this does not stand as the fastest invalid U18 100m time, as American Erriyon Knighton previously clocked a wind-assisted time of 9.99.
Nonetheless, it remains a significant achievement for the young athlete, who will turn 17 on December 29.
To provide context for Gout’s time of 10.02 seconds, Usain Bolt, the holder of the fastest 100m record at 9.58, had a personal best of 10.03 until he reached 21 years old.
Shortly after breaking the 10-second barrier, Bolt recorded a world record time of 9.68 to claim gold at the 2008 Olympic Games.
Gout first gained attention in April 2023 when he, at just 15, shattered the Australian U18 men’s 200m record with a time of 20.87 seconds.
Following that performance, he commented: “It means a lot because I’ve been training so much for this. I was really nervous.
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“The gun went off, and I was focused and just kept pushing. It feels like you don’t feel any contact with the ground; it feels like you’re flying.”
“This season has been incredible for me. Last year I finished fourth and sixth at nationals, and then I came to All Schools and won.”
Watch the amazing moment when 16-year-old sprinting sensation Gout Gout runs 100m in 10.2 seconds after ‘turning into Forest Gump’
“I was really driven to succeed because I took last year’s results personally; it always feels more rewarding when you’re winning.”
In August this year, he dominated the competition at the Queensland Athletics Championships with a time of 10.20.
Gout was born in Queensland, Australia, to parents who emigrated from South Sudan just two years prior to his birth.
