Queensland sprint sensation Uwezo Lubenda is faster than Gout Gout - and it’s just the start
Teen sprint sensation Uwezo Lubenda has revealed what is next after making global headlines with his unforgettable run at the state champs. Plus two Australian champions offer their advice.
“This is just the beginning.”
That is the message from Townsville teen sprint sensation Uwezo Lubenda after he announced himself to the world with a blistering 100m sprint.
It was a run which captured the attention of the nation, including Australia’s fastest man Patrick Johnson, and also put the 16-year-old more than two-tenths of a second faster than sprint sensation Gout Gout at the same age.
Lubenda drew immediate comparisons to rising superstar Gout, but said he was determined to make his own mark on the sport as he dreams of a chance to represent Australia.
“It’s a big honour to even be mentioned alongside someone like Gout – he’s an incredible athlete,” Lubenda said.
“But for me, I’m just focused on running my own race, working hard and improving every time I step on the track.
“This is just the beginning. I want to represent Australia one day – and I know this is just the beginning of what I can achieve.”
As his name lit up headlines around the world and his family became inundated with calls from sports agents, the year 11 student returned to normal life at Calvary Christian College.
Lubenda’s long-term coach Gary Cairns said the teenager’s talent went well beyond what he did on the track, while two of Queensland’s sprint champions cautioned the fastest kid in the nation to slow down and enjoy the moment.
WHO IS UWEZO LUBENDA?
Cairns, a coach at Townsville North Star Athletics Club, has helped some of the region’s top prospects reach their full potential, and he said Lubenda was a special talent.
“Uwezo is a once-in-a-generation athlete – his start acceleration is extraordinary, but it’s his work ethic and humility that truly impress,” Cairns said.
“He’s only 16 and already running times that rival seasoned sprinters.”
Lubenda is the current Australian under-17s 100m champion, first drawing media attention in 2024 when he became the first 15-year-old to break the 11-second barrier in North Queensland history.
He has moved from strength to strength in the 12 months that followed, cementing himself as one of the country’s best 100m and 200m prospects.
Lubenda was born in Mozambique after his family fled eastern Congo, finally arriving in Australia in 2013 when he was four years old.
He is the youngest of seven children, and his name, Uwezo, means ‘power’ in Swahili.
THAT RECORD-BREAKING RUN
Uwezo Lubenda breaks 16 years boys 100m record in Townsville
The 16-year-old missile set a new personal best time with a stunning 10.35s dash (with a legal +1.6 m/s wind) to take out the under-16 final at the Queensland schools championships.
The blistering speed was faster than Gout at the same age, and has rivalled some of the world’s greatest sprinters.
While he entered the state championships with high hopes, Lubenda couldn’t imagine how it unfolded.
“I knew I had a strong start, but I didn’t realise it was that fast until I saw the clock,” Lubenda said.
“Getting a PB was the goal, but breaking the record was a bonus.”
Lubenda backed up his efforts in the 100m final, running 21.38 seconds to break his PB and win gold in the 200m final at the same event, finishing a mere 0.04 seconds off breaking another state record.
Former national 100m champion, and fellow Townsville sprinter, Jake Doran was at the Red Track to witness the run.
“There was obviously a lot of fanfare around it. I was lucky enough to be there at the time,” Doran said.
HANDLING THE PRESSURE, MANAGING THE HYPE
Doran is well-placed to dish out advice to the next generation of sprinters; the 25-year-old knows exactly what it feels like to have the weight of expectations on his shoulders.
Doran was catapulted onto the national stage in 2018 when he set a new under-20s 100m record with a 10.15 second dash.
He said this was a pivotal point in Lubenda’s career – but cautioned the young sprinter not to let it get to his head.
“It’s tough. I mean, this is probably the toughest bit, when you have the media attention and everything starts to go right,” Doran said.
“I think when you’re alone at the track doing the work with your coach, you have certain expectations, and your coach definitely knows what you can and can’t do.
“But when it does come to light and the media jump on the bandwagon, it’s really easy to lose control.
“Nothing’s certain, nothing’s given in sport, so it’s tough.”
Australia’s fastest man, Patrick Johnson, who made his own rapid rise to the Olympic stage, said the teen sprint sensation needed to take a second to enjoy the moment.
“It is great to see the young kids getting out there and having fun and enjoying themselves,” Johnson said.
“There is an element of (concern), we need to make sure they enjoy themselves and have fun. The pressure is gonna come. We have had a lot of incredible great juniors but it is difficult to make the transition to senior competition.
“He has shown he has the talent and ability. He just needs to let it come naturally and don’t force it.
“The social media side of it is great and he should enjoy the limelight, have a couple of laughs and stuff with mates and get back to business.”
OLYMPIC-SIZED HOPES
With seven years until the Brisbane Olympics, Doran said there was plenty of time for Lubenda to take his time with development.
“The 2032 Olympics is a long way away. The end of both Gout and particularly Uwezo’s career is a long, long way away. We’re talking about the next 15 years, and a lot can happen in that time,” Doran said.
“I’ve been in the sport a long, long time, and I’m only really just about to click the halfway point. So there’s a lot of ups and a lot of downs, and this is definitely the first big up for Uwezo.
“It’s definitely the biggest peak that he’s experienced, so just riding that wave and enjoying it, but not letting it really grip you, and not losing sight of who you are and what you can and can’t do, I think, is really important.
“The work’s not done. He hasn’t run an Olympic qualifier yet, he’s not at that top level yet, but he has the capability to get there.
“Take the time to really appreciate what he did and then go back to the drawing board, go back to training and really hone the craft.”
AUSSIE ATHLETICS REVOLUTION
It’s hard to deny that there is a real buzz around athletics in Australia right now.
Gout’s World Athletics Championships debut in Tokyo this year was watched by more than 2 million Aussies, dominating conversations in offices and schools around the nation.
Lubenda’s run last week was viewed more than a quarter million times on social media.
It’s something that Australia can capitalise on with the potential for the next Cathy Freeman moment to capture the imagination of the country.
“It is great to see where sprinting is at,” Johnson said.
“We have always had the talent in this country.
“What we are now seeing is that you don’t need to be from those big cities, you can be from anywhere and from any background. Sport has a place for everyone. If you have talent and ability and you love what you do, you can succeed.
“I am loving that we are getting a lot of young athletes showing what they can do.”
With the rise of Gout, Lubenda and fellow sprint sensations Rohan Browning and Lachlan Kennedy, Johnson said it was a matter of when, not if, his 100m record would be broken.
“It is overdue to be broken, that is what records are for,” he said.
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Originally published as Queensland sprint sensation Uwezo Lubenda is faster than Gout Gout - and it’s just the start
