Australian teen Gout Gout beats Usain Bolt's best time in U20 200m record

Eighteen-year-old Australian sprint sensation Gout Gout has sent shockwaves through athletics after a blistering 200m run that eclipsed a teenage benchmark set by Usain Bolt.

The teenager stormed to victory at the Australian Championships in Sydney, clocking 19.67 seconds to set a new world under-20 record and the fastest 200m time of the year, according to the BBC.

The race marked the first time Gout has legally broken the 20-second barrier. His previous 19.84 was wind-assisted and not recognised. The 19.67 now stands as the fastest under-20 time under legal conditions.

Gout’s rise has been rapid. In 2024, aged 16, he ran 20.06 seconds, the fastest globally for his age group, signalling the emergence of a generational talent.

His latest run puts him ahead of Bolt’s best teenage mark of 19.93 seconds set at 17 in 2004. While Bolt went on to dominate the sport, he never bettered that time as a teenager, making comparisons between the two at similar stages inevitable.

American sprinter Erriyon Knighton has also featured in such discussions. He ran 19.49 seconds in 2022, the fastest ever by an under-20 athlete, but it was not ratified as a world U20 record due to anti-doping technicalities. His official best of 19.69 had stood as the benchmark until Gout’s run.

On the track, Gout showed composure and acceleration. After an average start, he built momentum off the bend and surged clear in the final metres. Fellow Australian Aidan Murphy finished second in 19.88, making it a historic race with two Australians dipping under 20 seconds.

"This is what I've been waiting for," said Gout. "We have such incredible athletes in Australia, and me being able to race these athletes, we push each other to the limits. Two Australians sub-20. I mean, this is amazing."

"There's a big weight off my shoulders knowing I ran it legally, and I have the speed and my body to run times like that. So, it definitely feels great, and ready for more," he added, as reported by BBC.

Gout, born in Queensland to South Sudanese parents, plans to skip the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow to focus on the World Under-20 Championships in Oregon.

While his time remains short of Bolt’s world record of 19.19 seconds set in 2009, it underlines his immense potential and marks him as one of sprinting’s most exciting rising stars.