AAP
IPSWICH sprint sensation Gout Gout will contest the 200 metres and the 4x400m relay at the 2026 World Athletics U20 Championships in Oregon this August as part of a record 75-athlete Australian squad.
The 18-year-old has opted to focus on the world junior championships rather than the upcoming Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, with the goal of following in the footsteps of legendary Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt, who claimed 200m gold at the 2004 World U20 Championships before launching one of the greatest careers in athletics history.
The championships will be staged at the iconic Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon, from August 5, just days after the conclusion of the Commonwealth Games.
Gout, who holds the U20 world record in the 200m, earned silver in the event at the 2024 World U20 Championships in Lima and is widely regarded as one of Australia’s brightest athletics prospects.
“I’m really excited to get out there at World Athletics Under 20s,” Gout said.
“I know 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.”
Australia enjoyed its most successful World U20 Championships campaign in Lima in 2024, winning a record 15 medals.
