Australian Athletics Championship: Gout Gout flies in Perth to claim U-20s 100m gold

Lightning has struck twice for burgeoning sprint superstar Gout Gout as he broke the 10-second barrier for the 100m for the second time in a matter of hours in Perth.

But for the second time in as many attempts Gout recorded a run of 9.99, only to have his time once more stricken off amid an illegal tailwind.

The 17-year-old stormed to victory in the final of the under-20 100m at WA Athletics Stadium, albeit with a wind of +2.6 rendering his time unofficial.

It came after he his heat time of 9.99 was also deemed unofficial following a tailwind of +3.5.

Gout told reporters post-race he would carry the confidence into his next event, the 200m, at the Australian Athletics Championships.

“That’s those things you hope for, and I hoped to get sub-10 and it’s happened now, so I’ve just got to keep doing it,” he said.

“It definitely boosts my confidence levels. Sub-10 is things every sprinter hopes for and to get this early in the season is definitely great.”

While the wind may have ruined some of the theatre of the finish, Gout said he was not too bothered by the elements.

“It’s frustrating, but you can’t control what you can’t control, and the wind is obviously things you can’s control,” he said.

You could have heard a pin drop as Gout lined up for the final, and with a bursting crowd packed into the grandstand, the Queenslander delivered the show they were waiting for.

He shook off a somewhat sluggish start by his standards to roar home; there was never any doubt at the halfway mark who was going to run away with the gold medal.

“Not as good a start, but that comes with experience, comes with the conditions as well,” Gout said.

And now, attention shifts to Gout’s showdown with fellow young hot-shot Lachie Kennedy in the open 200m on Sunday.

Kennedy got the chocolates over Gout at March’s Maurie Plant Meet in Melbourne as he edged out his rival in the 200, and the 21 year-old clocked a legal 10.03 in Perth last month.

“Hopefully (I can go) faster, but I guess we’ll find out on Sunday,” Gout said.

“Definitely looking forward to it, we’ve got a great rivalry and just being out here in Perth it’s a great track, so I couldn’t be happier.

“(I’ve been) working on my start, working on running smoothly and working on executing my race plan.”

Earlier on Thursday, Gout had eased into the final and given fans a taste of what was to come, pulling up early and still finishing 0.5 seconds ahead of the rest of the field.

Despite the two illegal times, Gout’s sprints have further raised hopes he could be the second Australian ever to break the 10-second mark in the 100 after Patrick Johnson.

Tokyo and Paris Olympian Rohan Browning has come the closest with a legal personal best of 10.01.

Browning did record a 9.96 run in January 2021, but with a 3.3m/s tailwind, it did not go down as a legal time.