Teen sprint sensation Gout Gout to lead Australia's world juniors squad in Eugene

BRISBANE, Australia (AP) — Star sprinter Gout Gout has already set an international record faster than Usain Bolt could produce at the Under-20 level, and now he'll get a chance to lower it when he leads Australia's 75-strong squad for world juniors in Eugene, Oregon in August.

“I’m really excited to get out there at World Athletics Under 20s,” Gout said in a statement Tuesday announcing Australia's squad for the Aug. 5-9 championships. “It’s a great stadium and place to run fast, and I feel confident I’ll be ready to step up and make Australia proud.”

Gout will compete in the 200 meters — he already holds the under-20 world record in that event — and he'll also be part of Australia's 4x400 relay team.

The 18-year-old sprint sensation was aiming to break the 10-second barrier legally for the 100 meters at the Australian junior titles last month, but he finished just outside the mark. He said his sole reason for racing was just to confirm his spot for the world juniors.

“Obviously, I didn’t have the best start, but I came out for the W (win) pretty much,” Gout said at the time. “I was waving to my family, fans and a couple of friends ... the more of a show, the more people who are going to come and watch.”

The national junior championships were held a week after Gout set the under-20 world record time in the 200 that was faster than Bolt’s best at that age.

He won the Australian open title in 19.67 seconds on April 12, taking 0.02 off Erriyon Knighton’s world under-20 mark of 19.69 set at Eugene, Oregon in 2022. Knighton also ran a 19.49 in 2022, which World Athletics lists as the fastest time ever by an under-20 athlete despite it not being ratified as a record.

It was the first time that Gout had gone under the 20-second mark officially, after a wind-assisted 19.84 last season. Gout previously had the quickest 200 time ever by a 16-year-old, setting an Australian record of 20.06 in 2024.

His time in Sydney last month was better than eight-time Olympic champion Bolt’s time of 19.93 in 2004. Bolt was 17 when setting what was then a world junior record and never bettered that time as a teenager.

Gout, who was born in Queensland state to parents from South Sudan, is skipping the July 23-Aug. 2 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow in order to compete at the world juniors and to continue his plan to make an Olympic debut at Los Angeles in 2028.

If his meteoric rise continues, Gout could be the face of his hometown Olympics at Brisbane in 2032.

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