Teenage sprinting sensation Gout Gout has thrust himself into world sporting headlines with two eye-catching performances at the Australian All Schools Championships.
At just 16 years old, Gout broke the Australian 200m record - which has stood for 56 years - after running a dynamic 100m sprint the day previously.
With several Olympic campaigns ahead of him, how do Gout's performances stack up against the results of sprinting stars?
The Sporting News compares Gout's times to those from the Paris 2024 Olympics.
MORE: Gout Gout breaks 200m national record at Australian All Schools Championships
Gout Gout's 200m Australian record compared to Paris 2024 Olympics result
Gout's 200m run of 20.04 at the Australian All Schools Championship broke the Australian record of 20.06 set by Peter Norman at the 1968 Mexico City Olympics.
It was also the second-fastest 200m by an under 18 of all time, overtaking Usain Bolt’s 20.13 but still behind Erriyon Knighton’s time of 19.84.
Incredibly, if Gout posted this time in the 200m final at the Paris 2024 Olympics, he would have finished sixth in the main event.
Paris 2024 Olympics 200m final result with Gout's time added
Note: Gout Gout's 200m Australian record in italics
| Position | Athlete | Country | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Letsile Tebago | Botswana | 19.46 |
| 2. | Kenneth Bednarek | USA | 19.62 |
| 3. | Noah Lyles | USA | 19.70 |
| 4. | Erriyon Knighton | USA | 19.99 |
| 5. | Alexander Ogando | Dominican Republic | 20.02 |
| N/A | Gout Gout | Australia | 20.04 |
| 6. | Tapiwanashe Makarawu | Zimbabwe | 20.10 |
| 7. | Joseph Fahnbulleh | Liberia | 20.15 |
| 8. | Makanakaishe Charamba | Zimbabwe | 20.53 |
Gout Gout's 100m PB compared to Paris 2024 Olympics result
Gout's 100m heat run of 10.04 at the Australian All Schools Championship can't count for any records as it had the assistance of a +3.4m/s tail wind - with it being above the +2m/s limit.
In the final, Gout ran a legal time of 10.17, with a +0.9m/s tail wind, which was the fifth fastest U18 time in history and easily the best by an Australian junior, beating the old mark of 10.27.
For the purpose of comparing to the Paris 2024 Olympics, The Sporting News will use Gout's time of 10.04.
While the teenager wouldn't have qualified for the final in Paris, he would have made the semi-finals with his PB.
Paris 2024 Olympics 100m heats
Gout's time of 10.04 would have finished in the top three of all eight heats, qualifying him for the semi-finals.
Paris 2024 Olympics 100m semi final
However, he would have fallen short of qualifying for the 100m final, with Benjamin Richardson's semi-final run of 9.95 missing out on the final.
All up, there were seven 100m sprinters that missed the final with a semi-final time quicker than Gout's PB.
How many Olympics could Gout Gout compete at?
Considering his 200m PB time would have placed him 6th in the Paris 2024 Olympics final, Gout looks likely to be able to compete at the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics as a 20-year-old.
He then could have opportunities at further Olympics in 2032, when he is 24, and the 2036 Olympics, when he is 28.
It's worth noting that current 100m sprint king Noah Lyles is 27, meaning that Gout could be around his peak by his third Olympics.
