Gout Gout’s schoolyard sand shoe sprint that hurtled emerging star towards greatness

Gout Gout was at Ipswich Grammar School to play soccer, and a complete stranger to the track when summoned to sprint against one of the fastest kids in the country.

“Gout was only wearing sand shoes, but left him in his dust,” Tyson Walker recalled to AAP of those defining few seconds almost five years ago.

“We had GPS athletics the next week and he broke every record and just didn’t stop ... he’s just kept going faster.”

James Grey was the spikes-wearing favourite on that day in Ipswich, a precocious sprinter and rugby union talent.

Walker, who has progressed to Year 12 alongside Gout and is no slouch himself, was in the race too.

The playmaker is the younger brother of Sydney Roosters halfback Sam and son to retired NRL star Ben, already signed to the Roosters and destined for a long and fruitful professional career of his own.

“James won nationals easily and just never lost. But Gout, a soccer player, just took off,” Walker said of the impromptu dash that served as a school carnival selection trial.

“Everyone there stopped and watched. We realised (his talent) straight away. It was pretty cool.”

“He’s a superstar, but the way he just rolls into class and gets into trouble like the rest of us is pretty cool.

“He’s really nice and it’s good that the fame hasn’t got to him; he’s kept his two feet on the ground.

“He calls me Mr Roosters and stuff like that ... he’s got jokes.”

Gout will have the chance to officially break 20 seconds for the 200m when he competes at the Maurie Plant Meet in Melbourne next Saturday.

He is also expected to contest the Australian Athletics Championships in Perth next month and will run in the 143rd edition of the Stawell Gift, on grass over the Easter weekend.

Fearless, he is targeting the 100m-200m golden double at his home Brisbane 2032 Olympics but, based on current times, will be a force at Los Angeles’ 2028 version first.

Tokyo’s world championships - and a date with Olympic champion Noah Lyles - beckons later this year.

Gout trained with Lyles in the US in January and, appearing on the American star’s podcast, wasn’t scared to challenge the man who won 100m gold and 200m bronze in Paris.

“That’s him summed up; he doesn’t care the world champion’s in front of him, he’s still him,” Walker said.

“It’s crazy he’s talking up racing against the Olympic champion, but that he’s in my maths class.”

Gout’s schoolyard feats were quickly spotted by veteran coach Di Sheppard, whose sprinters run for Tigers Athletics Club.

Tigers was founded in 2017 by Casey Sims, who is also the club’s photographer and president.

“We wanted a club that was fun and on our own terms, more modern and embracing of social media,” she told AAP.

“People have jumped on board.

“Gout, I’ve shot him since his first race and he is still the same Gout today.

“Quite reserved, super polite and just excited to be there with his mates.”

Sims loves that Gout isn’t as bashful after crossing the finish line, though.

“The show has kind of evolved across time and that comes with more and more confidence in what you’re doing,” she said.

“And it’s great; people are embracing it and for real, if I ran sub-20 I’d be celebrating too.

“The sub-20 was crazy but after the weekend, it was straight back to school.

“He has homework to do, just like the others. It just happens that he runs a bit faster than everyone else.”

Before each race Sims asks Gout where she should stand as he purrs around the track.

“For the 200m, do you want me to sit at the bend, or wait at the finish line if you’re going to do something big?,” she recites.

“Lately it’s usually, ‘I’m going to run fast, I’ll see you at the finish line’.

“So I’m like, ‘OK, I’ll be there’.

“It usually means something cool’s going to happen and it sets the tone for what he’s going to do.

“And he’s a man of his word, I’ll give him that.”