Australia’s new cult hero Gout Gout to change his name
Sprint sensation Gout Gout has quickly become one of Australia’s favourite athletes, but he will go by a new name soon if his parents have their way.
QLD News
Don't miss out on the headlines from QLD News. Followed categories will be added to My News.
He is the hottest ticket on the global athletics stage, but Queensland sprinting sensation Gout Gout’s secret weapon is keeping his “floating” feet grounded.
In fact, a steak at a Brisbane suburban pub with his family was how Gout Gout, 16, celebrated smashing a 56-year record at the Australian All Schools Championships on Saturday.
The Ipswich Grammar School student went 0.02sec under Peter Norman’s 200m record – the longest held senior record in Australian athletics – with a mind-blowing 20.04sec.
Gout was surrounded by his parents and six siblings at the Sunnybank Hotel in Brisbane’s south as the enormity of his achievement started to sink in.
Norman died in 2006, but nephew Matthew Norman reached out to express the family’s happiness that the record, set in winning the silver medal at the 1968 Mexico Olympics, had been broken by the rising young star.
It’s now been revealed that Gout’s parents want to change his son’s name back to its original spelling - Guot, pronounced “Gwot”.
When his father, Bona and mother, Monica fled to Egypt, Guot was changed to Gout after an Arabic spelling mix-up by the Sudanese government.
“His name is Guot, it’s supposed to be Guot,” Bona told Seven News.
“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.”
The sprint sensation, who finished his year 11 studies last week, is planning on taking a break for a few weeks ahead of his 17th birthday on December 29.
He will jet to the US next month for a two-week training camp with reigning Olympic 100m gold medallist Noah Lyles and Lyles’ coach Lance Brauman.
Upon return to Australia, he will compete at both state and national championships before turning his focus to September’s World Athletics Championships.
But none of it is likely to shake Gout’s rock-solid grounding at home in Ipswich, where he lives with parents Monica and Bona and his six siblings.
In fact, he’s already back studying for school exams.
His father Bona works two jobs as a food tech at a local hospital and Uber driver at night, while his mother Monica is a cleaner.
The pair fled war-torn South Sudan for Egypt before moving to Australia in 2006, with Gout born in Brisbane the following year.
“As parents, we are very proud of Gout and love to see him chasing his dreams,” his parents said in August.
“From a young age, we saw him running around in the back yard, challenging other kids with his skills.
“He loved playing soccer, loved running, and always admired Cristiano Ronaldo.
“He is a very sweet boy, talented, a wonderful sibling, and always pushes himself to achieve his goals.’’
Gout’s parents have been careful with his career, mindful not to expose their young son to the spotlight too early, which makes any glimpse into the world of the next Usain Bolt precious.
Gout’s manager James Templeton said the young man was focused and refused to lean into any of the mounting hype surrounding his career and his potential as a double gold medallist at a home Olympics in 2032.
“He would laugh that off,” Mr Templeton said when asked for Gout’s response to comparisons with Cathy Freeman. “He is just focusing on training and trying to avoid any distractions.
“He’s very level headed and we allow him to be a kid.
“(Coach Dianne Sheppard) and I protect him as much as we can and say no to most of the dozens of media requests – he hasn’t been on TV and we basically say no to every one because he’s only 16,” Mr Templeton said.
“He’s got exams coming up so I’m sorry but you won’t be seeing him in any in-depth interviews.”
Crucial to the plan is Gout’s relationship with Sheppard, who has been his mentor on and off the field since he was first discovered at the college as a Year 7 student.
“She basically told me I could be great and that is the first time anyone ever told me something like that,’’ Gout said in a rare Courier-Mail interview recently.
“It started off with a bang. She trained me and helped me to become a better person and a better athlete up until this point and onwards.
“So I could not ask for a better coach.”
In August at the All Schools Queensland Track and Field championships, Gout Gout became the fifth fastest Australian to run a 200m when he ran 20.29sec.
That time was within sight of the great Usain Bolt’s 16 years world record (20.13sec), and also within touching distance of Norman’s all-time Australian record of 20.06 – a record which Gout now holds as his own.
Norman’s daughter Sandy celebrated Gout on surpassing her father’s 1968 record.
“Dad would absolutely have loved this,” Ms Norman said.
His nephew, Matt Norman, said yesterday was one of the proudest moments of his life.
“Australia’s very own Gout Gout has just broken my uncle Peter Norman’s record which has stood since 1968,” Mr Norman said.
“I am writing to him personally to congratulate him.
“Wow what a star.”
The global sporting world is marvelling at the young talent’s promise as he knocks on the door of a burgeoning international career.
An Adidas spokesman said Gout’s 20.04 record-breaking 200m sprint was the runner “rewriting history in his own back yard”.
Australian hurdle champion Kyle Vander-Kuyp described him as an “electric shock”.
“I think about what the 24-year-old version of Gout is going to be,” he said.
Former Australian sprinter Matt Shirvington commended Gout on his sprinting success.
Speaking on Channel 7’s Sunrise, he said the 16-year-old will be the greatest athlete ever produced in Australia.
“I honestly believe - a lot of people are comparing him to the goat, Gout to the goat, who is Usain Bolt of course - I think he has got more,” Shirvington said.
“I sat down with a British coach, who has trained some of the best 400m runners in the world ever, he reckons over the 400m he could very well be the world record holder too.
“In terms of the 100m, breaking that 10-second barrier - it will not only just be a blip on his radar, he will do it 100 times and it won’t ever be a barrier for him.”
“He is so young, so talented, has a great team around him ... his parents who we heard from his dad, Bona just then ... just beautiful people.
“He is one of seven siblings, he has got a great story, and leading into 2032 there will be a huge support for him - he has the world at his feet.
“For me, greatness is destined for Gout Gout.”
Renowned celebrity publicist and manager Max Markson said Gout could expect an “enormous future” of luxury brand deals and sponsorships.
“He’s only 16-years-old so he has an enormous future,” Mr Markson said.
“Athletes compete all around the world every year so he is going to make some serious money... It could go for 20 years.
“He could be an incredible success, the money potential is unbelievable for anyone doing sport but especially because he has started so young and has broken a 56-year-old record.”
Mr Markson said the teen would be offered multi-million dollar, long term contracts.
“He’s achieved fame not only locally but globally,” Mr Markson said.
“Whatever he wears will be important and Adidas will be seriously competitive for him, financially.
“Nike will too (be competitive) and then also clothing companies because it’s not only the shoes, it’s also what he wears,” he said.
Mr Markson said Gout would receive bonuses for winning world championships and gold medals at events such as the Olympics.
“Because of the sport he can do 100 metre races, relays, 200 metres, there’s so much he can do,” Mr Markson said.
“He will move from clothing onto luxury cars and more,” Mr Markson said.
“He will literally be a star across the board for what he does.”
More Coverage
Originally published as Australia’s new cult hero Gout Gout to change his name
Join the conversation
‘Unsafe’: Caravan dealer’s payout after van’s failure hours after purchase
A Queensland second-hand caravan dealer has been ordered to reimburse a customer for the thousands of dollars she spent fixing the “unsafe” van he sold her which suffered a “major failure” just hours after she bought it.
Read more
Man charged after alleged Gold Coast armed robbery
A man has been charged by police after an alleged early morning robbery on the Gold Coast. Read when he’ll face court.
Read more