Athletics star defects to Australia, wants to break Gout Gout’s record
A country’s top sprinter has defected to Australia and declared he wants to break national records in a huge coup for athletics and Gout Gout.
Gout Gout may have some more competition after New Zealand’s fastest man switched allegiances to Australia and declared he wants to break our national records.
On Friday it was confirmed Eddie Osei-Nketia, New Zealand’s record holder in the 100m and 200m, had successfully finalised his transfer of allegiance to Australia.
Australian Athletics announced on social media: “He has been lighting up Australian tracks for years but Edward Osei-Nketia is now officially eligible to represent Australia on the world stage, successfully completing his transfer of allegiance from New Zealand.
“The 10.08-second man joins the nation’s rising sprinting stocks. This is going to be fun.”
“My goal with Australia is to break both the 100m and 200m record and also help the relay team to not just make the finals — also to earn a medal in the big stage, and with the team I believe it’s possible,” Osei-Nketia told the Associated Press.
“Not just LA, the Commonwealth Games, world championships and the world relay, any chance we get.
“I am 100% with Australia from here on out.”
At the 2022 World Athletics Championships, Osei-Nketia broke his father Gus Nketia’s national record in a time of 10.08sec.
He set the New Zealand record in the 200m when he ran a 20.24sec in May for the University of Southern California in a college meet in Texas.
The 24-year-old was not selected for the Tokyo Olympics and was overlooked by New Zealand for the 2022 Commonwealth Games. He tried his hand at American football, signing to play wide receiver for Hawaii in 2023
His brother Augustine Nketia Junior is also a sprinter who has switched his allegiance to Australia.
Osei-Nketia’s defection from New Zealand to Australia adds impressive depth to the country’s sprinting stocks following the emergence of Gout and Lachlan Kennedy.
It would be a tantalising prospect to see Gout, Kennedy, Osei-Nketia and potentially Rohan Browning combine in the 4x100m men’s relay for Australia at next year’s Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.
Gout has a legal 100m personal best of 10.17sec, but dipped below the 10-second barrier in a time of 9.99sec with a tail wind in April.
The teenager, who turns 18 later this month, holds the Australian 200m record in 20.02 seconds after breaking Peter Norman’s longstanding mark.
Patrick Johnson still holds the national 100m record in a time of 9.93 seconds.
Earlier this year Lachlan Kennedy became just the second Australian to break the 10-second barrier when he clocked 9.98sec at a meet in Kenya.
Gout is planning to compete at both the Commonwealth Games and World Junior Athletics Championships next year.
Originally published as Athletics star defects to Australia, wants to break Gout Gout’s record
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