Gout Gout, touted as the famed successor of Usain Bolt, didn’t live up to the hype during his face-off against fellow Aussie track phenom, Lachlan ‘Lachie’ Kennedy. March 29, Maurie Plant Meet, Melbourne, Australia. All eyes focused on Gout Gout; the expectations from the 17-year-old are sky high. But he falls short by merely 0.04 seconds. Lachie Kennedy ran to gold in 20.26s while Gout had to settle for silver at 20.30s. But obviously, for the one who broke Peter Norman’s record, this could hardly be the end. Was a redemption brewing?

Then came the U20 Australian Athletics Championships in Perth, and Gout delivered. He dipped under 10s not once but twice. In the heats, he ran 9.99s (+3.5), and then in the finale, he matched his performance with a tailwind of +2.6. So has the track world broken into unabated celebration of this rising sensation? Not exactly. Instead of praise, Gout found himself at the center of fan mockery. Even veteran voices joined the chorus, with outspoken athlete Erin Brown doubling down on his long-standing view that Gout is more flash than finish. Hyped off illegal conditions? Let’s dive into what actually happened.

A tweet on X by a user questioned if Gout’s wind-assisted 9.99s should be celebrated. And that sentiment quickly spread. Critics, including American track analyst Erin Brown, who has been vocal in the past about Gout being “overhyped,” didn’t hesitate to use the wind readings as fresh ammo in the ongoing debate. But what about the tailwind is causing such commotion?

Unfortunately, both of Gout’s impressive efforts were not recorded. This is because in both instances, Gout had a tailwind, which was illegal. During the heat, it was 3.5 m/s while a 2.6 m/s flashed on the screen during his final run. Both numbers were much higher than the permissible limits of 2 m/s. So while the clock showed brilliance, the conditions denied it validation. Turning what could’ve been a headline moment into a talking point for all the wrong reasons.

Instead of sulking, Gout came back swinging. “Sometimes it’s frustrating,” he admitted. “But you can’t control the wind… you’ve got to learn how to run with it or against it.” It ought to be frustrating because this is far from being the first time that the 17-year-old failed to make a mark (or register a record) because of the tailwind rule. Gout is sure to bounce back with an ever better performance, but till then, the fans weren’t having it.

Fans question Gout’s hype amid contentious sub-10 score

A tweet by a fan read , “Gout Gout will make headlines even if there’s a +6 wind.” It’s a sarcastic nod to a growing pattern. The teenager’s most eye-popping times often come with a wind asterisk. Earlier this year, he clocked a wind-aided 19.98 in the 200m with a +3.6 m/s reading, sparking similar debates. A sub-10-second run is a career milestone for any sprinter, but with a +3.5 tailwind in the heats and +2.6 in the final, fans felt the moment lacked legitimacy.

“Embarrassing… but that’s y’all ‘next Usain Bolt’ tho,” posted Erin Brown, reigniting a narrative he’s been pushing for months. Gout’s 20.30 loss to Lachlan Kennedy was already being used against him. Kennedy had just come off a World Indoor silver in the 60m and edged out Gout in the 200m by 0.04 seconds. Erin’s criticism echoed the sentiment that Gout is being shielded from elite competition. “He never races real competition, and when he does, he struggles!” he blasted earlier. That performance gap gave critics more fuel, and this wind-assisted 9.99 just made the case louder.

Then came the casual fan disengagement. “All I care about is Alexis Holmes, oh, and Dalilah Muhammad. Carry on. Lol,” one user chimed in, dismissing the Gout hype altogether. With Alexis Holmes anchoring the U.S. to 4x400m gold and breaking a 36-year-old record in Paris, and Dalilah Muhammad clocking a 50.61 in Kingston just days ago, fans of the sport have no shortage of proven, consistent stars to follow. Gout’s hype, in contrast, feels fragile to some, built more on potential and flash than hardware and results.

One fan commented, “Gout is a modern Gump, Fast is he really?” Another added, “A desperate Track world praying for another bolt ⚡.” The desperation is real. The void left by Usain Bolt’s retirement still looms large. And while Gout has the times (albeit wind-aided) and the raw potential. Silver at World Juniors, an Australian record, and that headline-making 19.98. The sport’s hunger for a new messiah is being projected onto someone still learning the ropes. That pressure is starting to show, not just on the track but in the public’s expectations.