Those in the know not surprised by Gout Gout’s epic rise

He may seem like an overnight sensation, but members of Queensland’s athletic community knew Gout Gout was destined for greatness long ago.

He may seem like an overnight sensation, but those in the know say Gout Gout’s rapid rise to stardom came through relentless hard work.

Ipswich Grammar parents Ben and Lucy Sargent were in the crowd on Sunday to support their son, but also witnessed Gout steal the show once more.

Gout blitzed the field to win the U20 200m final in a scintillating time of 19.98 seconds.

Mr Sargent said the 17-year-old athlete stood out well before his new-found fame.

“Eighteen months, or two years ago, I just saw this kid with this awesome style win this race by a mile,” Mr Sargent said.

“Someone mentioned his name and it just stuck.

“I noticed him in all the following events and followed him on the Facebook pages, there was a few write ups of him.”

Australia's Gout Gout celebrates after winning the 200m final during the Queensland State Championships in Brisbane.

Mr Sargent said six months after he first spotted him Gout, he began to gain traction in state and national athletic circles.

“He’s blown up, he’s a bit of a legend I think in the athletics community and in the school community,” he said.

“So there is a good crowd around him and everyone sort of worships him.

“But they’re not allowed to, you know, treat Gout Gout differently than anybody else - he’s just a normal kid and they just get used to seeing him everywhere after a while.”

Originally published as Those in the know not surprised by Gout Gout’s epic rise