16-year-old Gout Gout breaks Peter Norman’s 56-year 200m record

A stunning run by Gout Gout has shattered an Australian record which has stood since the 1968 Olympics and left Usain Bolt in his dust.

Gout Gout has just run himself into Australian history at the 2024 Chemist Warehouse Australian All Schools Athletics Championships, breaking Peter Norman’s 56-year 200m record.

Yes, you read that right, the 16-year-old Aussie not only broke the under-18s record, the under-20s record, but also the Australian senior men’s record which has been held by Norman since the 1968 Mexico City Olympics.

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Norman’s time of 20.06 has finally been surpassed with Gout Gout’s official time of 20.04 in exceptional scenes as he once again blew away the field.

Having come into the race with a PB of 20.29 set at last month’s Queensland titles — the fourth fastest ever by an Australian — Gout Gout took himself to the top of the tree, surpassing Norman’s time in a tremendous performance.

Norman claimed his time in the final of the Mexico City Olympics, where he claimed silver and was only beaten by a world record by American Tommie Smith.

However, that race is remembered most for the silent protest by Smith and his countryman and bronze medallist John Carlos, both African-American men who raised their fists in a Black Power salute.

Peter Norman’s Australian record was in this race. Photo: AP Photo/File

Gout Gout has done the unthinkable. Photo: YouTube

The time is also the second fastest by an under-18 in history, beaten only by American Erriyon Knighton, who ran 19.84 in 2021, while senior men’s world record holder Usain Bolt’s best under-18s time of 20.13 has been bumped to third all-time.

Even more incredibly, the time is the sixth fastest by an under-20 runner — reminder again he is 16.

Knighton has the fastest at 19.49 in 2022 followed by Bolt (19.93 from 2004), Israel’s Blessing Akwasi Afrifah (19.96 from 2022), Botswana’s Olympic gold medallist Letsile Tobogo (19.96 from 2022), Suriname’s Issamade Asinga (19.97 from 2023) and equallinng Azerbaijan’s Ramil Guliyuv (20.04) from 2009.

For the record, it’s the equal 131st time in history, but also a second inside Bolt’s world record of 19.19.

Gout Gout has done it. Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images

And while Gout’s stunning 100m heat on Friday of 10.04 was wiped out of the official record books because of the tail wind of 3.4m/s, the tailwind was just 1.5m/s, meaning it will go into the record books.

Commentator Mitch Dyer was losing his mind in the commentary booth.

“He is Gout of this world, 20.07, that is not human,” Dyer said before the adjustment.

“That is ridiculous.”

Gout also pointed to his name, saying: “Remember it.”

The commentators also called for fans to “buy stocks now” as well as suggesting he might be running in the Diamond League as early as next year.

Gout Gout doesn’t turn 17 until late December.

Speaking with media after the run Gout was chuffed to write his name into Australian athletics history.

“It’s definitely great,” he said of breaking the 56-year mark. “I’ve been chasing that record but I didn’t think it would come this year. I thought maybe it would happen next year or the year after, so to get it now is definitely a great achievement for sure.

“It’s pretty crazy (breaking Australia’s longest held athletics record). Right now, I can’t really process it but tonight when I got home to bed and think about it, it’ll be pretty crazy for sure.”

Gout said that when he puts his mind to something, “if I’ve said something and it’s on my mind, I’m pursuing it until I get it”.

As for how he’s going to celebrate? “I just go home and sleep — I eat food and I just chill with my friends and my family.”

Gout Gout with his manager James Templeton and coach Di Sheppard. Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images

It’s been an incredible meet for Gout after he ran the fourth fastest under-18s 100m time in history in a blistering heat time of 10.04 on Friday, the fifth fastest time by an Australian in history in any conditions.

But because of the tailwind, it won’t go into the record books.

However, his time of 10.17 in the final was good enough to break the Australian and Oceania under-18s record, beating current Australian champion Sebastian Sultana’s previous record of 10.27, as he claimed the national title.

The year 11 student also revealed he would be heading to the US in January to train with Olympic 100m champion Noah Lyles and his coach Lance Brauman in a bid to qualify for the Tokyo World Championships.

Originally published as 16-year-old Gout Gout breaks Peter Norman’s 56-year 200m record