Extraordinary scenes as Aussie sprinter Gout Gout stuns the sporting world with major milestone

By JUSTIN CHADWICK FOR AUSTRALIAN ASSOCIATED PRESS

Rising track star Gout Gout has run the 100m sprint in a blistering time of 9.99 seconds despite easing up at the end – but it wasn’t an official record due to a 3.5m/s tail-wind.

Gout entered the Australian Athletics Championships in Perth on Thursday evening with a personal best of 10.04s, which also wasn’t an official time due to the 3.4m/s tailwind that day.

Conditions at the WA Athletics Stadium on Thursday night meant Gout’s first-round heat run in the Under-20s 100m also wouldn’t be an official record, given it was a tail wind of more than 2m/s.

But the fact Gout posted his 9.99 run despite easing up at the end showcased his immense potential.

The 17-year-old will run again in the final later on Thursday night. 

The current Australian men’s record is 9.93 seconds, set by Patrick Johnson in Mito, Japan in 2003.

‘Was it sub 10?,’ Gout said immediately after the race.

‘Yeah (I tapered off). It’s only a heat, so all I needed to do was qualify, so I’m happy with that.

Gout Gout recorded a blistering time of 9.99 seconds at the Australian Athletics Championships in Perth on Thursday

‘It doesn’t feel very special. This is the stuff you’ve got to do to get to the next level. 

‘Sub-10 was inevitable, and it happened today, so hopefully it can happen again.’

World Indoor 60m silver medallist Lachlan Kennedy is also aiming to crack the 10-second barrier in the 100m this week.

Kennedy, 21, is competing in the open field for the 100m on Friday and Saturday, meaning he won’t go head-to-head with Gout over that distance this week.

But the pair will lock horns on Sunday when they line up in the 200m men’s event. 

However, Gout Gout’s run wasn’t an official record due to a 3.5m/s tail-wind

Gout broke Peter Norman’s 56-year-old Australian 200m record late last year when he clocked in at 20.04 seconds – a time faster than what Bolt ran at the same age (20.13).

But Kennedy has bragging rights over the rising star after beating Gout last month in the men’s 200m at the Maurie Plant Meet in Melbourne.

Kennedy posted a time of 20.26 in that event, to narrowly edge Gout (20.30).

:
Extraordinary scenes as Aussie sprinter Gout Gout stuns the sporting world with major milestone

***
Read more at DailyMail.co.uk