Gout Gout closes on Usain Bolt's world record with insane 100m time but 'illegal' run won't be included in record books

Australian sprinting sensation Gout Gout has further closed in on Usain Bolt's 100-metre world record - but his time won't be counted in the record books.

Gout, who turned 17 at the end of December, went viral last year after a stunning run at the Queensland Athletics Championships in March 2024.

He ran a record-breaking time of 10.29 seconds to win the Under-18 boys' 100-metre event.

Two months earlier, Gout ran a time of 20.69 seconds in a 200-metre event - just 0.11 seconds behind Bolt's time at the same age.

Last December, shortly before his 17th birthday, Gout ran a blistering 100m time of 10.04.

However, the time was deemed 'illegal' as he ran in a tailwind of 3.4m/s - above the legal limit of 2.0m/s or under. When the wind blows in the same direction as an athlete, it allows them to run faster.

In legal tailwinds of 0.9m/s, he ran a still extremely impressive 10.17 - making him the new national record holder over 100m.

Now, he has passed the 10-second mark for the first time in his career, clocking a sensational run of 9.99 seconds to win the U20 men's title at the Australian Athletics Championships.

He had already ran the same time in the heats earlier in the night.

The final time again won't count towards the record books, however, as it was ran in a tailwind of 2.6m/s.

That is likewise for the heat run, which was in a 3.5m/s tailwind.

You can watch the incredible final run below.

Speaking after his latest title victory, Gout said: "That's what I was hoping for. I didn't get the start I anticipated, but I just focused on what I needed to focus on. I got through my drive phase and saw the clocks... I can't be happier than that.

"There's obviously those moments where the media gets too much. At this moment, I just let it sink in and focus on training, focus on my race plan and get the job done.

"If the conditions are good, hopefully I can PB [on Sunday, in his next race]. But we'll just find out on the day."

Last year, the 17-year-old's parents revealed that Gout's name had actually been spelt wrong on his birth certificate and should be spelled as 'Guot' instead.

The mistake occurred due to an Arabic spelling mix-up when Gout's parents fled South Sudan for Egypt two years before his birth. The family then moved to Australia but their records have not yet been corrected.

Gout's father told Channel Seven: "His name is Guot, it's supposed to be Guot. When I see Gout Gout, I'm not really happy for him.

"I know that Gout Gout is a disease name but I don't want my son to be called a disease name ... it's something that's not acceptable."

But following that interview, the sprint sensation told the same outlet - via his agent - that he still preferred to be known as Gout.