Sprinting sensation Gout Gout breaks 10 seconds in the race he was born to run

Gout Gout is an enchanting, thrilling, hypnotising sight, perfectly built for sprinting, born to run. On a historic night in Perth, he twice clocked 9.99sec in the 100m.

Gout Gout of Queensland wins the Men’s U20 100m in Perth. Picture: Cameron Spencer/Getty Images

Break a leg, kid. And 10 seconds.

It’s been 100 years since Broadway actors first encouraged each other to fracture a limb in the superstitious hope of a perfect performance. ’Twas their way of avoiding the mock.

You hoped young Gout Gout, the most impressive teenager since Clark Kent, would both break a leg – nudge, nudge, wink, wink – and sprinting’s magical mark in his 100m at the Australian Athletics Championships.

The 17-year-old was in the Under 20s. A reminder the boy is yet to become a man.

The other fastest teenager in the world, South Africa’s 19-year-old flyer Bayanda Walaza, clocked 9.99sec last month at Pretoria, and perhaps that dashing performance was the cue for Gout to return serve. The Perth track was allegedly a fast track, the place for Gout’s progress to be fast-tracked, and his first shot at the nines came in his heat.

Broadcaster to the stars, Bruce McAvaney, hadn’t sounded this excited since Winx was running laps of Royal Randwick. Pity the poor youngsters taking on Gout in the Under 20s. Suffer the children. He could probably get through his heat with a broken leg – he won in 9.99sec and broke the internet. His time wasn’t official because of the tailwind of 3.5m/s but still, he was breathtaking.

The Fremantle doctor and a nation’s best wishes were at his back. In lane two, representing Queensland, wearing enough maroon for a State of Origin jersey, and hi-vis yellow shoes, he prayed, crossed himself, pointed to the heavens and blew kisses to the sky. He started poorly, went like the clappers and then strolled over the line, pulling up from about 35m to go, relaxed enough to read a book and make a cup of tea.

“Isn’t he beautiful to watch!” McAvaney called. “Extraordinary!”

Bring on the final. Patrick Johnson is the only Australian to have broken a leg by breaking 10 seconds, stopping the clock at 9.93 seconds in Japan in 2003, four years before Gout was born. Johnson is proud to be the first Australian to reach the nines but he’s never wanted to be the last. His 22-year-old Australian record was on shaky ground. Break a leg, kid.

Gout Gout posts 9.99sec, wind assisted, in the men's U20 100m heat a handful of hours before repeating the dose in the final – wind-assisted again – at the WA Athletics Stadium in Perth Picture: Cameron Spencer/Getty Images

We needed the Fremantle Doctor to stay away. Who could blame him for wanting a ticket? The wind was up again, all bets were off for official times. Go. There’s not many sporting events in which you can hold your breath from start to finish. Here’s one. In full flight, Gout is an enchanting, thrilling, hypnotising sight, and bloody quick, perfectly built for sprinting, born to run. He won by the proverbial. All eyes to the clock: another 9.99sec.

The Brisbane Olympics have been the major goal, bigger than Broadway, but the focus shall be fast-forward after this sizzling performance in Perth. The World Athletics Championships are at Tokyo in September. Gout could break a leg there. The Los Angeles Games are on the horizon. He can go for the doctor. Any time, any place, anything and everything has become tantalising possible.

“That’s what I was hoping for,” he said. “Can’t be happier.”