Gout Gout wins another under-20 100m title at Australian Athletics Junior Championships
Eighteen-year-old sprint star Gout Gout has coasted to another 100m junior national title, waving goodbye to his opponents as he won in 10.21 seconds.
Less than a week after smashing his own national open 200m record at the Australian championships in Sydney, Gout returned home to Brisbane for the Australian juniors this weekend.
The wait continues for his first legal sub-10-second time after rival Lachlan Kennedy did so twice at the national championships.
Gout twice dipped into the 9s at last year’s under-20 championships only for a strong tailwind to rule it illegal, before running a personal best of 10.00 at the Dane Bird-Smith Shield in February.
Gout said he was “100 per cent certain” he would go faster than 10 flat before long.
“I have done 10-flat in my season opener and that race was a bit rocky,” he said.
“Time will tell, obviously, but I am pretty sure that is coming soon. Obviously I didn’t do it today, but soon for sure.”
Returning to his home track at the Queensland Sport and Athletics Centre in Brisbane, Gout cruised into the final of the under-20 100m and, after being given a stiff challenge early by fellow Queenslander Uwezo Lubenda, coasted home with time to wave in front of the face of Zavier Peacock in the adjoining lane.
“The more of a show there is, the more people are going to come and watch,” he said.
Gout draws a crowd whenever he runs. (ABC News: Lucas Hill)
“The more people, the more pressure there is. The more pressure, the faster you run. I love putting on a show.”
Peacock (10.35) finished second and Lubenda (10.37) third as all three ran qualifying times for the world under-20 championships in Eugene, Oregon in August.
Gout opted to contest the Eugene event rather than go to his first Commonwealth Games in Glasgow in the weeks prior.
The teenager will now head to the US for more training and a rumoured 150m race with Olympic 100m champion Noah Lyles.
“I reckon I will be racing him soon,” Gout said.
“It definitely means a lot, knowing I can go up against the Olympic champion and multi-time world champion.
“It definitely feels great and I will definitely up my game for sure versing the best guy in the world right now. I definitely feel great and it will definitely push me along.”
ABC/AAP
