TRACK superstar and Ipswich cult hero Gout Gout captured the world’s attention with his record-breaking performance at last year’s Australian National All-Schools Championships, even before turning 17.
Over the Christmas break, it came to light that his lucrative multi-year deal with adidas would see the teen sensation pocket more than $6 million from the sporting apparel giant.
At the National Championships, he ran an extraordinary 20.04 seconds for the 200m, breaking a 56-year-old Australian record.
Equally impressive was his 10.04 seconds for the 100m – unfortunately it was wind-assisted and ineligible for records but reinforced his incredible potential.
In that freakish performance over the 200m he not only broke Australia’s oldest athletics record set by Peter Norman in 1968, but also set Australian records at Open, under-20 and under-18 levels, ranked second all-time (under-18) and sixth (under-20) globally in the 200m, currently the fastest in the world for the 200m at under-18 and under-20 levels and has qualified for the 2025 World Championships for the 200m.
The question now is what comes next for this exciting Queenslander?
With an eye on the 2028 Los Angeles and 2032 Brisbane Olympics, it is important to remember that Gout is still classified a junior athlete.
Remarkably, he is uniquely positioned to compete concurrently at both the junior and senior World Championships.
Professor of Sport & Exercise Science, University of Southern Queensland, Stephen Bird said elite sprinters typically peaked at around 25-27, so Gout’s progression should lead perfectly into the 2032 Brisbane Olympics.
Under coach Dianne Sheppard, his training will evolve with his age and maturity.
Not only does Sheppard provide the technical guidance in the gym and on the track, but she will also need to navigate the multitude of internal and external factors necessary for Gout to perform to his best on the world stage.
