Teen Sprinter Gout Gout Hits 10.00 in 100m, Sets New Record

Eighteen-year-old Gout Gout stopped the clock at exactly 10.00 seconds Saturday in Brisbane, coming within a heartbeat of breaking one of track and field's most celebrated barriers.

The Queensland sprinter blazed through 100 meters at the Dane Bird-Smith Shield Meet, obliterating the Australian under-20 record that had stood since 2018. Jake Doran's previous mark of 10.15 suddenly looks like ancient history.

Gout actually dipped under 10 seconds twice last April, running unofficial times that would have made headlines. But heavy wind assistance meant neither run counted toward the record books, leaving the official barrier intact.

Only two Australians have ever officially broken the 10-second mark. Patrick Johnson owns the national record at 9.93 seconds, set back in 2003. Last year, Lachlan Kennedy joined him with a 9.98 in Kenya.

Saturday's run was wind-legal at plus 0.9 meters per second, meaning it counts. It also marked Gout's first qualifying performance for the World Athletics Under 20 Championships, which he's prioritizing over the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow this year.

Why This Inspires

At 18, Gout is already rewriting Australian sprinting history with years of competition still ahead. His near-miss doesn't represent a failure but rather a promise of what's coming.

The teenager's decision to skip the Commonwealth Games shows maturity beyond his years, choosing long-term development over immediate glory. That kind of strategic thinking, combined with his explosive talent, suggests Australia's sprinting future burns brighter than ever.

Every hundredth of a second separating Gout from the 10-second barrier feels less like a wall and more like a door he's about to kick wide open.