Why Gout Gout's latest record-breaking 100m time won't be included in record books
Gout Gout has gone under the 10-second barrier over 100 metres for the first time - but his record-breaking time won't be made official.
The 17-year-old sprint sensation has earned comparisons to Usain Bolt and, like the eight-time Olympic gold medalist, competes over 100 metres and 200 metres.
In fact, Gout is quicker than Bolt at the same age, having ran 20.04 in the 200 metres as a 16-year-old compared to the Jamaican's time of 20.13.
In June, the Australian took part in his first race in Europe at the World Athletics Continental Tour Gold, and improved his 200m record further to 20.02.
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Gout is preparing to compete in the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo this September, and took part in a school meet in Queensland last week.
The watch stopped at a stunning 9.94 seconds, marking the first occasion that Gout has ran under 10 seconds.
However, the run cannot be officially classed as part of the record books - because the race was hand-timed.
His manager James Stapleton said (via the Olympics website): "It's a low-key event, the GPS [school meet]. But it's good to get a run in, a nice little warm-up, and shows the form he is in for Tokyo in three weeks.
"It was hand-timed, but it was a race effort, and that's important in the weeks leading up to Tokyo."
Gout's last record time of 10.04 was also scrubbed from the record books.
SORRY WHAT?!👂 10.04? 👀
— Australian Athletics (@AustralianAths) December 6, 2024
Teenage sensation Gout Gout gets the crowd roaring with a spectacular though windy 10.04 (+3.4) performance in his U18 100m Heat - the fourth fastest time in all conditions by an Australian in history.
Stay tuned for the final at 3:40pm AEST. Tune in… pic.twitter.com/UbXfzH5mj6
Last December, he clocked the time days before his 17th birthday but ran in a tailwind of 3.4m/s, which is deemed illegal under World Athletics regulations.
He ran another sub-10 second time of 9.99 in April 2024, but the race was again contested under an illegal tailwind.
His official record, therefore, still stands at 10.17 seconds.
Had he posted that time at Paris 2024, he would have only narrowly missed out on progressing through the first round heats - an indication of the level he's currently at and also just how far he can progress in the future.
Ryan Smart