In the 1968 Olympics, Australia’s Peter Norman set a record for the 200-metre sprint that would stand for decades.
On Saturday, a boy named Gout Gout finally beat it to become the world’s fastest ever 16-year-old, after clocking 20.04 seconds in the 200 metres at the All-School Athletics Championships held in Queensland. Gout Gout also ran 100 metres in 10.04 seconds.
The teenager’s run was initially marked at 20.07 seconds but later revised to 20.04 seconds, which landed him below the 20.06 seconds record that won Normal a silver medal at the Olympics 56 years ago.
The time made Gout the fastest 16-year-old ever and placed him second in the U18 category behind USA’s Erriyon Knighton, who clocked 19.84 in 2021 and has gone on to win silver and bronze in the World Championships and make the final eight at an Olympic Games. Usain Bolt is third with a 20.13 back in 2003.
“Gout of this world”
Gout’s focus is now firmly on the 2032 Olympics. He’ll be 24 when that is held in Brisbane, not far from where he grew up.
The young athlete is coached by Di Sheppard, who first spotted him when he was in year 7 at Ipswich Grammar.
Gout (whose name is actually Guot Guot – but the name was muddled up on official paperwork when his family were feeling their South Sudan homeland) will turn 17 on December 29 and will travel with Sheppard to the United States in January 2025 for a brief training stint with Olympic men’s 100m champion Noah Lyles.
Peter Norman’s nephew Matt says, “Peter would be absolutely thrilled that a young kid like Gout has broken his record. We are all absolutely stunned that it finally happened after 56 years. We have been hoping for it.
“Peter did say before he died that it’s the one thing he wanted to see in his life, a young Australian runner beating it, so I know for sure he would be absolutely thrilled.”
After his run, Gout described his own record-breaking efforts as “pretty crazy”.
“These are adults. Me, I’m just a kid, and I’m running them (down).
“I’ve been chasing that record, but I didn’t think it would come this year. I thought it’d come maybe next year, the year after that.
“Right now, I can’t process it, but I guess tonight, when I go to bed, I’ll think about it.”
