Gout Gout 200m, Maurie Plant Meet: Teen sprint superstar stunned by Lachlan Kennedy

While it might not have been in the script, Gout Gout suffering a shock loss to Lachlan Kennedy could end up being a pivotal moment in Australian sprinting. This is why.

While it might not have been in the script, Gout Gout suffering a shock loss could end up being a pivotal moment in Australian sprinting.

On the biggest night of athletics in Australia for two decades with a capacity crowd of 10,000 packing inside Lakeside Stadium, the fairytale story was flipped on its head by Australia’s fastest man Lachlan Kennedy

After winning the 100m three hours earlier, Kennedy produced the best 200m race of his life to upstage the event drawcard in a thrilling finish.

Kennedy, 21, stopped the clock in a personal best 20.26sec with Gout surging late to just miss (20.30sec). Calab Law rounded out a Queensland trifecta in third (20.78sec).

Lachlan Kennedy beats Gout Gout to win the Peter Norman Men’s 200m final as part of the Maurie Pant Meet. Picture: Getty Images

The surprise result sets up a mouth-watering re-match over 200m at the Australian championships in Perth in two weeks time.

For 17-year-old Gout, who ran 20.04sec to break Peter Norman’s Australian 200m record in December, it was his first time racing in the senior ranks and his camp was putting the loss down to a valuable learning experience.

Rather than shy away from the hype, the Year 12 schoolboy said he loved the fact that the stands were packed to see him despite the result.

What a race! Kennedy destroys his personal best as he beats Gout to win the Men's 200m!

Watch the full replay of the @AustralianAths Maurie Plant Meet on @7plus at https://t.co/IDgwLDvftWpic.twitter.com/1fVs7k2tvd

— 7Sport (@7Sport) March 29, 2025

Gout Gout with coach Di Sheppard at the Maurie Plant Meet. Picture: Michael Klein

“What is going through my head is seeing what I can gain from this experience and knowing what I can do in training to improve and keep pushing to nationals,” Gout said.

“This is great, this is what you live for, this environment, the hype, the people, the expectation, the people, this is sport right. This is what I go to sleep for.

“The experience is second to none, this is only something you can get from a big meet. It feels great having everyone saying my name, everyone screaming my name at the top of their lungs.

“It is definitely great and is something not a lot of people can experience so I am definitely taking it step by step and enjoying the moment.

“Coming second is something you have to experience, it puts fuel to my fire so when I get to training I work a bit harder and I will be better at nationals.”

Gout Gout congratulates winner Lachlan Kennedy after the race. Picture: Michael Klein

The victory caps off an extraordinary week for Kennedy who won Australia’s first silver medal in the 60m at the world indoor championships in China.

While he had the fastest 100m time of the year - 10.03sec in Perth earlier this month - his 200m form had been a mystery.

“My goal was to go out hard and to try my best to hold him off and I got lucky this time,” Kennedy said.

“The Indoors was a heap of fun, I knew I would be decent in the 60m but 200 is a different beast.

“I just wanted to give him a good race, it wouldn’t be fun if he just destroyed everyone. I’m sorry if I did spoil it a little bit but what a great race you can’t be upset watching something like that.”

Gout Gout and race winner Lachlan Kennedy embrace after their mouthwatering 200m race. Picture: Getty Images

In the 100m, Kennedy was unlucky to confront a headwind but still ran an impressive race, clocking 10.17sec (-1.1 mps). Reigning national champion Sebastian Sultana got home strongly for second in 10.29sec with Paris Olympian Rohan Browning third in 10.30sec.

There was also an upset in the women’s 200m with 25-year-old Kristie Edwards kicking off the bend to win impressively in 23.18sec.

Edwards, who has been a member of Australia’s 4x100m relay team, was never challenged with Victoria’s Jessica Milat grabbing second in 23.36sec.

The disappointment of the race was Australia’s fastest woman Torrie Lewis who struggled home in fifth (23.60sec).

Lewis, who made the semi-finals in the 200m at the Paris Olympics, has spent the past five months training overseas in the Netherlands.

She has been focussing on 60m events - which she ran at last week’s world indoor championships in China - and was clearly rusty in her first 200m event of the season.

Earlier, Melbourne’s fluctuating conditions conspired against Lachlan Kennedy’s push to break the magical 100m 10-second barrier at the Maurie Plant Meet.

Australia’s fastest man this year continued his dominance of the event but he was forced to do it into a headwind in the Maurie Plant Meet at Lakeside Stadium on Saturday night.

He was unlucky with the fluky winds given 10 minutes earlier the women’s 100m race was run with a perfect tailwind of +1.1 mps.

Originally published as Gout Gout 200m, Maurie Plant Meet: Teen sprint superstar stunned by Lachlan Kennedy