‘Greatness is destined’: Matt Shirvington’s stunning Gout Gout claim

Australia may be just getting on the Gout Gout train but former Aussie sprint king Matt Shirvington has made an enormous call about his future.

Gout Gout may have already run into the Australian record books but former Aussie sprint king Matt Shirvington has tipped the 16-year-old to become the greatest of all-time in a massive call.

Gout, or Guot as his father revealed, broke Australian athletics’ longest held record when he lowered Peter Norman’s 1968 Mexico City Olympics 200m time of 20.06 at the Australian All Schools Athletics Championships over the weekend.

Watch selected NRL, AFL, SSN games plus every F1 qualifying session and race live in 4K on Kayo. New to Kayo? Get your first month for just $1. Limited time offer.

The 16-year-old Queenslander ran a remarkable 20.04, the second fastest under-18s time in history, to put him into rare air and make him a household name overnight.

American Erriyon Knighton has the fastest under-18s 200m time in history at 19.84 set in 2021, while world record holder Usain Bolt has been relegated to third with his best under-18 time coming in at 20.13.

Incredibly, the time was also the sixth fastest under-20s time of all-time.

And while his 200m exploits have snatched the headlines, it came 24 hours after he wowed the world in the 100m.

Gout kicked off the day, running the fourth fastest under-18s 100m time in history in a blistering time of 10.04.

Not only that, it was the fifth fastest time by an Australian in history in any conditions.

The result won’t go into the record books after he ran with an illegal tailwind of 3.4m/s — for the record to count, the tailwind can be no more than 2m/s.

But Gout ensured he’d leave the day with a record, surpassing Australian 100m champion Sebastian Sultana’s record of 10.27, running 10.17 with a legal tailwind of 0.9m/s in the final.

The time is officially equal 17th fastest in history in the Oceania region, and sixth fastest of all-time by an under-18 in the world.

And a reminder — he won’t turn 17 until later this month.

However, the 10.04 made waves, with the third fastest Australian in history and five-time national 100m champion Matt Shirvington heaping the ultimate praise Australia’s new crown prince of speed.

Shirvington, who sits behind Patrick Johnson 9.93 and Rohan Browning’s 10.01 with a time of 10.03 from the 1998 Commonwealth Games 100m final where he finished fourth, believes this is only the beginning for Gout, claiming “he will be the greatest athlete we have ever produced in this country”.

“This kid, just on the fact that he is such an amazing athlete, the most coveted record in (Australian) sprinting was Peter Norman’s 1968 200m record that he did in that iconic race, of course that Black Power race in Mexico City,” Shirvington began on Channel 7’s Sunrise on Monday.

“The fact he has come out as a 16-year-old — he is not 17 until the 29th of December — is a phenomenal thing.

“The other thing, he ran a windy 10.04 — that’s the fifth fastest in all conditions by an Australian. He will be the greatest athlete we have ever produced in this country. I’m saying that hands down.”

Well he’s had a good start. Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images

While he was met with surprise in the studio, it wasn’t the end of Shirvington’s big call, with the former Aussie sprinter claiming he might end up being the greatest in the history of the world.

“A lot of people are comparing Gout to the GOAT, which is Usain Bolt, of course,” Shirvington said. “I think he’s got more to produce the goods.

“And I sat down with a British coach who has trained some of the best 400m runners in the world ever and he reckons over the 400 he could very well be the world record holder too.

“Who knows, 100, 200, 400 — he may make it happen.

“In terms of the 100, breaking the 10 second barrier, it will not only be a blip on his radar, he will do it 100 times and it won’t even be a barrier for him.”

This is only the beginning. Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images

Shirvo has made a bold Gout Gout call already. Photo: Channel 7 and John Gass

With the 2032 Brisbane Olympics eight years away — when Gout would be 24 — a potential 100m, 200m and 400m contender could be a mouth-watering prospect for organisers.

“He’s so young, so talented, he has a great team around him, his coach Di Shepherd, his manager James Templeton, his parents are just beautiful people,” Shirvington continued. “He is one of 7 siblings, he’s got a great story.

“And heading into 2032, there is going to be a huge support for him. He has the world at his feet.

“He’s going to train with Noah Lyles in January — of course Noah Lyles the Olympic champion. He’s going to be brilliant. For me, greatness is destined for Gout Gout.”

While Shirvington knows just how hard the road is even when you’re not at the tippy top of the sprinting world, the GOAT himself Usain Bolt has heaped even more praise on the youngster.

In a five-word statement, the Jamaican 100m (9.58) and 200m (19.19) world record holder said “He looks like young me”.

It’s a comparison many have made but it means even more coming from the man himself.

Usain Bolt is on the Gout Gout train. Picture. Phil Hillyard

Gout Gout has some big names in his corner. Photo: Colleen Petch

However, first things first, lets get his name right.

Gout’s dad Bona told 7News his son’s name is actually Guot and is pronounced “Gwot”.

Gout’s parents want to change his name back to the original spelling and pronunciation so their son isn’t associated with the disease gout.

“His name is Guot, it’s supposed to be Guot,” Gout’s father Bona told Seven.

“When I see people called him Gout Gout I’m not really happy for him.

“I know that Gout Gout is a disease name but I don’t want my son to be called a disease name … it’s something that’s not acceptable.”

His dad explained Guot became Gout due to an Arabic spelling mix-up when the parents fled to Egypt.

They had planned to go to Canada but Australian government documents arrived first, leading to them settling in Brisbane.

Gout was born in Ipswich, Queensland in 2007, two years after his parents Bona and Monica arrived in Australia after leaving Egypt.

Originally published as ‘Greatness is destined’: Matt Shirvington’s stunning Gout Gout claim