Gout Gout has run wind-assisted times of 9.99 seconds in both his U20 100 metres heat and final at the Australian Athletics Championships in Perth.
In his afternoon preliminary on Thursday, Gout ran under 10 seconds for the first time, but the performance will not stand officially because of an illegal tailwind reading of 3.5m/s.
The 17-year-old matched the time in the final, held two hours later, although the performance was aided by a 2.6m/s tailwind.
A wind reading of 2.0m/s or under is needed for a time to be declared legal.
“Sometimes it’s frustrating but you can’t control what you can’t control,” Gout said after the final.
“The wind is obviously the thing you can’t control. You’ve just got to learn to run with it or against it.”
Gout said knowing he could run under 10 seconds in all conditions added to his self-belief.
“It feels pretty good, I mean that’s the things you hope for,” said Gout, who has a legal personal best time of 10.17.
“I said I’d get sub-10 and it happened now, so I’ve just got to keep doing it.”
Gout will contest the open-age 200m later in the program at the national titles. (Getty Images: Cameron Spencer)
Gout’s performances suggest Patrick Johnson’s national record of 9.93, set in 2003, will be under threat this year.
It could fall as early as Saturday, with Lachlan Kennedy targeting Johnson’s mark in the open-age 100m.
Kennedy’s personal best is 10.03.
Gout looking to the 200m
Gout will contest the open-age 200m at the nationals titles in Perth.
He will face Kennedy, who beat home his fellow Queenslander in the half-lap event at the Maurie Plant Meet in Melbourne almost a fortnight ago.
Kennedy pipped Gout, 20.26 to 20.30 in a thrilling race in front of a packed crowd at the Lakeside Stadium.
“I was happy to be the national champion and 1744287131 just get ready for my next race,” he said.
Gout ran a wind-assisted 19.98 in the U20 200m final at the Queensland Athletics Championships in Brisbane last month.
Earlier that day, he ran 20.05 with the assistance of a legal wind, the time only 0.01 outside the Australian record he set in December, just weeks out from his 17th birthday.
Gout broke Peter Norman’s 56-year-old national mark (20.06) when he ran 20.04 at the Australian All Schools Championships in Brisbane.
The performance was quicker than Usain Bolt’s best time as a 16-year-old, 20.13, and second behind American Erriyon Knighton’s 19.84 on the all-time U18 standings.
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