Teenage Titan: Gout Gout Shatters 400m Record
In a stunning display of raw speed and limitless potential, 17-year-old Australian sprinting sensation Gout Gout obliterated the under-18 400m record with a scorching time of 46.20 seconds. The performance, coming just days after playful banter with reigning world champion Noah Lyles, marks Gout as a rising force poised to electrify the track world.
Gout’s blistering lap around the track at the Joanna Stone Shield meet in Brisbane not only shattered the longstanding Australian U18 mark, but also surpassed Lyles’ own personal best of 47.12. The friendly rivalry between the two sprinters had been brewing since their recent joint training camp in Florida, where the audacious teen boldly warned the world champ he was gunning for his crown.
Today was just a time trial to test his speed endurance. The world is his oyster.
Di Sheppard, Gout’s Coach
Smashing Records and Expectations
While this was just a practice run for the prodigious Gout, it sent shockwaves through the athletics community. To put the jaw-dropping time in context:
- Nearly a full second faster than Lyles’ PB
- Would have ranked top 10 in the world last year
- Fastest U18 time by an Australian in 35 years
At the same age, current Olympic 400m champion Quincy Hall could ‘only’ muster a 46.98. Gout’s stratospheric potential has track pundits salivating at the thought of him focusing on the one-lap race.
More Than a One-Trick Pony
The scary part? The 400m is far from Gout’s specialty. The teenage blur already boasts a wind-aided 10.04 in the 100m and an Australian record of 20.04 in the 200m – at just 16 years of age. His coaches view the 400m as pure training rather than a primary event.
He does one of these [400m] every year to test his speed endurance.
Di Sheppard
With an array of Australian and international meets on the horizon, including a hyped appearance at the famed Stawell Gift, Gout looks to further sharpen his world-beating tools. But the ultimate proving ground looms largest: the world championships in Tokyo, where a certain Noah Lyles eagerly awaits.
Next Stop, World Domination?
Gout’s miraculous progress has many wondering if we’re witnessing the birth of a sprinting icon. His unique blend of unmatched raw speed, laser focus, and a dash of swagger evokes the sport’s all-time greats.
Gout is coming for the throne, ready or not. His potential is boundless.
Quincy Hall, Olympic 400m Champion
As the clockwork-like phenom continues to push the boundaries of human speed, one thing is crystal clear: the future of sprinting goes by the name of Gout Gout. With records falling like dominoes and the world’s best in his sights, this Australian prodigy is ready for global liftoff. Tokyo can’t come soon enough.
