“It’s embarrassing… but that’s y’all ‘next Usain Bolt’ tho,” tweeted track analyst Erin Brown, mocking Gout Gout after his highly anticipated sub-10-second 100m runs were stripped of legitimacy. The 17-year-old sprinter had clocked 9.99 seconds twice in one night at the Australian Athletics Championships, but both times were aided by illegal wind readings—+3.5 m/s in the heats and +2.6 m/s in the final. Fans quickly jumped on the bandwagon, using the wind issue to criticize Gout, questioning whether he could live up to the hype.

This wasn’t the first time Gout’s achievements were invalidated because of the tailwind rule, though. At the Queensland Athletics Championships held in Brisbane in March this year, Gout clocked 19.98s with a wind assistance of +3.6m/s. Naturally, he couldn’t register a record back then. This time, despite the disappointment of having two near-record runs invalidated, Gout didn’t let the backlash get to him. “You can’t control what you can’t control,” he said, acknowledging the wind as something out of his hands. “You’ve got to learn how to run with it or against it.” But as his critics piled on, Gout’s composure in the face of adversity showed he was determined to bounce back stronger. And bounce back, he did.

Just two days later, on April 13, 2025, Gout stormed to victory in the 200m at the Australian Athletics Championships with a breathtaking wind-assisted time of 19.84 seconds. This performance was the second fastest ever by an athlete under 20, surpassing Usain Bolt’s 19.93-second time at the same age. Gout’s win not only silenced his critics but also reaffirmed his place as one of the most promising young sprinters in the world.

His recent win followed an impressive achievement from the previous December, where he established himself as the fastest (then) 16-year-old ever in 200m, but his 20.04-second run exceeded Bolt’s record from his teenage days. Everyone in the track and field community now supports the athlete because of his recent victory, as they believe in his amazing potential.

Fans are all in, and Gout Gout’s proving he’s got the speed to match the hype

Gout has been turning heads for a while now—and not just because of that cool name. One fan added, “Y’all Gout Gout is special. Get on that train quick quick,” while another echoed, “Very ‘prime’ Bolt-like in build, stride, and how he pulls away easily down the stretch.” It’s easy to see why. Even before his recent wins, the hype surrounding the Aussie teen was building. Back in December, Gout set the track on fire with a blistering 20.04 in the 200m—the fastest ever by a 16-year-old. That time? Faster than Usain Bolt’s personal best at the same age of 20.13s. It places him as the second-fastest under-18 runner in the 200m, just behind Erriyon Knighton’s 19.84.

Usain Bolt himself acknowledged the similarities, reportedly stating, “He looks like young me.” Despite the comparisons to the legendary sprinter, Gout remains grounded and focused on carving his path. As he puts it, “I’m just me trying to be me. Obviously, I do run like him.” 

The 2025 Australian Athletics Championships witnessed Gout’s fantastic performance at Perth when he achieved a wind-assisted 19.84 seconds in his 200m men’s final as a 17-year-old. Although +2.2 m/s of tailwind exceeded the official standard to set records, he established a new fastest 200m time for Australian runners both officially and unofficially. The audience was filled with excitement. One person stated, “I’ve never seen such a show.“ That was some performance. Looking forward to the next World Championship. This guy will be gunning for Bolt’s records.”

The event established a rematch between Gout and Lachlan Kennedy, who competed against each other previously in Melbourne, but Kennedy won narrowly by a slight margin. The disqualification of Kennedy due to a premature start eliminated the anticipated head-to-head competition at this race.  One person said, “I keep telling ppl about this kid 💨,” while another added, “This kid is next level woooooow 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥.” And honestly, it’s easy to see why. Gout will inevitably face additional comparisons to Usain Bolt because of his remarkable talent.