Gout Gout smashes Australia’s oldest record as Peter Norman’s famous 200m record falls

Australia’s 16-year-old sprint star Gout Gout has made history in Brisbane, smashing Peter Norman’s famous 200m national record set at the 1968 Olympics.

Gout’s time of 20.04 seconds claimed top spot in the under-18 final at the All Schools Championships but it has catapulted him into a new stratosphere far beyond the meet itself.

Running faster than any 16-year-old in history - including sprint icon Usain Bolt - over the distance, Gout’s feat surpassed Norman’s 20.06 from the Olympic final made famous by his support of Tommie Smith and John Carlos’s black power salute on the podium.

Norman’s record was the oldest left standing in Australian athletics.

Gout’s new mark, set with a 1.5m/s tailwind, is a 2025 world championships qualifying time, putting him in the mix for a rapid international debut.

Gout, who turns 17 later this month, is already due to train with American superstar and 100m gold medallist Noah Lyles in January.

It seems just a matter of time before Gout obliterates Australia’s fastest 100m times from Patrick Johnson (9.93), Rohan Browning (10.01) and Matt Shirvington (10.03).

But it was Norman’s long-standing 200m record that fell first in the under-18 final on Saturday afternoon.

“I didn’t expect it to be that fast, but I guess I ran Australia’s fastest ever time in the 200,” Gout said afterwards.

““It’s definitely great. I’ve been chasing that record but I didn’t think it would come this year. I thought it would come maybe next year or the year after that.”

A false start halted proceedings and Gout “felt kind of uneasy”.

“But as soon as the gun went I was flying,” he said.

The teenager said it was difficult to process breaking adult records.

“It’s pretty crazy. Right now I can’t process it, but tonight when I go to bed and think about it it will be pretty crazy for sure,” he said.

“These are adult times and me, just a kid, I’m running them, so it’s definitely going to be a great future for sure.”

The performances that went viral earlier this year added pressure but he is now ready to take on whatever challenge is next.

“You know what they say, pressure makes diamonds and I guess I’m better than a diamond right now,” Gout said.

“We just take little steps; beat my PB by 0.01 and 0.02. Chasing that big sub-20, it will be great for sure but I’m not expecting too much.”

Gout helped the two placegetters, Josiah John and Terrell Thorne (both 20.87), to sub-21-second performances.