Sprint sensation Gout Gout has recorded the fastest ever 200 metres by an Australian with a sizzling time of 19.67 seconds at the National Championships.
The rising star’s effort on Sunday afternoon was considered a legal time, and is also the second fastest by a man under the age of 20.
The 18-year-old leapfrogged Jamaican superstar Usain Bolt in the process, who previously held a time of 19.93 seconds set back in 2004.
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The only 20-and-under man faster is America’s Erriyon Knighton who ran 19.49 only four years ago in 2022.
“He has absolutely done what everybody thought he might, and he’s done it at 18 years of age,” Channel 7 commentator Bruce McAvaney said.
“The world will be shaking. It is seismic. It is the exclamation mark of all time on a national championships that will be remembered forever.”
Speaking to reporters post-race, Gout said recording a legal sub-20 second time had “been on my mind this whole year”, adding the feat was now a “big weight off my shoulders”.
“Yeah that means a lot … I’d written down 19.75 and for the past week in my head, I’ve been telling myself I’m running 19.75. Obviously 19.67, so you’ve got to love it,” Gout told reporters.
Gout’s coach Di Sheppard was left stunned by his achievement.
“I didn’t expect that. I was hoping for just under 20 (seconds), but not that. That was cool,” Gout told ABC Sport.
Asked why Gout was able to run so fast, Sheppatd said: “We tweaked a couple of little things, worked his hands a bit better, just tried to get his turnover a bit better — and it worked.”
The 200m final was billed as a heavyweight battle between two Aussie guns, with Gout set to go toe-to-toe with Lachlan Kennedy.
However, Kennedy was forced to pull out of the event after suffering soreness following his efforts in the 100 metres, where he recorded a staggering time of 9.96 seconds.
In the same race Gout created history, Aidan Murphy also run sub-20.
He recorded a time of 19.88 to become the second-fastest Australian over 200 metres in history.
9.96 SECONDS! Kennedy’s 100m blitz | 00:40
Meanwhile, world Under 20 mile record holder Cameron Myers reinforced his potential by running 3:29.85 in the 1500m, edging out reigning Commonwealth Games champion Oliver Hoare.
It was the best time globally this year and the quickest ever in Australia.
The 19-year-old Myers backed up by taking out the 5000m in a personal best 13:11.66.
But Paris Olympic 1500m silver medallist Jessica Hull’s bid for a rare 800m-1500m-5000m treble fell apart.
Hull was leading the 1500m with 100m to go, but was clipped from behind and dramatically fell with fellow Olympian Claudia Hollingsworth crossing first.
Hollingsworth was initially disqualified over the incident, but reinstated on appeal.
Hull pulled out of the 800m, won by Abbey Caldwell in 1:58.57, but returned to win the 5000m in 15:13.21.
The four-day meet also saw Olympic pole vault champion Nina Kennedy clear 4.65m to stand on top of the national podium for the fifth time in her career.
Kennedy continues to jump off a restricted run-up as she returns from a long injury layoff ahead of defending her title at the Glasgow Commonwealth Games in July.
“I’m happy with how I jumped. I got the win pretty comfortably out there, so there is no need to push the body,” she said.
High jump world champion and Olympic silver medallist Nicola Olyslagers cleared 1.99m to outleap Olympic bronze medallist Eleanor Patterson (1.93m).
— AFP
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