Viral teenage star Gout Gout stunned the crowd with his blistering performance despite starting the event with a handicap.
The Australian sprint sensation has taken the world by storm following his record-breaking runs in the country's school and national-level athletics championships over the past six months.
And the 17-year-old, who has been compared to Olympic legend Usain Bolt, continued to enhance his reputation after progressing to the semi-finals of the Stawell Gift on Saturday.
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Gout started the 120m race with a 1m handicap but still won the event in comfortable fashion at Central Park in Victoria.
Despite starting with a handicap, Gout blitzed the rest of the field and clocked an impressive time of 12.31 seconds.
The crowd erupted after the budding phenom crossed the finish line.
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Speaking to Seven after his heat win, Gout said: "It feels great. The track is great, and the run is obviously great. Can’t wait for the semis and hopefully the finals."
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On racing on grass, he added: "It felt pretty much like I was running on a synthetic track. I guess it was a mental game, because I love chasing down people. So, this is the type of race I love.
"The 120 (metres) is literally like one of the perfect distances for me because in the 100s, obviously, I don’t get that much time to get up in my top speed. I get that extra 20 metres here, it’s definitely great and hopefully I can run down a few more people."
Gout's star power is growing with every race, having broken Bolt's junior world record in the 200m last year.
Former Olympian and Athletics Australia President Jane Flemming likened Gout to the Jamaican icon following his dazzling sprint performances.
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"If I’ve ever seen anybody run like Bolt and built like him, he [Gout] is it," Flemming said.
The semi-finals and finals of the men's Gifts take place on Easter Monday, with the winner in line to earn $40,000.
Topics: Athletics
Nasir Jabbar