Star sprinter Gout Gout will lead Australia's 75-strong squad to the World Athletics Under-20 Championships in Eugene, Oregon, from August 5 to 9. The 18-year-old already owns the under-20 world record in the 200 metres, with a time faster than Usain Bolt.
Gout ran 19.67 seconds to win the Australian Open 200 metres title on April 12. That time beat Erriyon Knighton's world under-20 mark of 19.69 set in Eugene in 2022. It was also faster than Bolt's 19.93 from 2004, then a world junior record.
The race in Sydney was Gout's first official time under 20 seconds, after a wind-assisted 19.84 last season. He already had the quickest 200 metres ever by a 16-year-old, with an Australian record of 20.06 in 2024. Knighton's unratified 19.49 from 2022 remains
the fastest under-20 performance.
Key under-20 200m performances
The leading teenage 200 metres marks mentioned are listed below.
| Athlete | Time (seconds) | Year | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gout Gout | 19.67 | 2024 | World under-20 record |
| Erriyon Knighton | 19.69 | 2022 | Previous record |
| Erriyon Knighton | 19.49 | 2022 | Not ratified |
| Usain Bolt | 19.93 | 2004 | World junior record then |
Bolt never improved that time as a teenager.
Gout set for 200m and relay duties
In Eugene, Gout will race the 200 metres and join Australia's 4x400 metres relay squad. "I'm really excited to get out there at World Athletics Under 20s, he said on Tuesday, as Athletics Australia announced the team for the championships.
Gout said he feels ready to run fast in Eugene. "It's a great stadium and place to run fast, and I feel confident I'll be ready to step up and make Australia proud. He has also embraced a more open, crowd-friendly style on track.
At the Australian junior titles last month, Gout chased a legal sub-10 seconds in the 100 metres but fell just short. He said his main goal was securing selection. "Obviously, I didn't have the best start, but I came out for the W pretty much, he said.
Future Plans And Olympic Ambitions
Gout was born in Queensland to parents from South Sudan. He will skip the July 23 to August 2 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow to focus on world juniors. He is following a long-term plan to debut at the Olympics in Los Angeles in 2028, then target Brisbane 2032.
