Gout Gout, the 17-year-old Australian sprint sensation who continues to smash records, has reached an impressive milestone that eluded Usain Bolt and Noah Lyles when they were teenagers.
He is one of the most talked-about young athletes on the planet right now.
Since breaking Usain Bolt’s under-16 world record with a 20.04-second 200m run in last year's Australian All Schools Championships, Gout has gone from strength to strength.
Most notably, he was chosen to represent Australia at the 2025 World Athletics Championships in Tokyo, where he became the youngest sprinter ever to feature in a World Championships over 200m.
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Gout then said farewell to his junior career in October, as he competed for Ipswich Grammar in an individual event for the final time, breaking the 400m record in 46.18 seconds before anchoring a record-breaking 4x100m relay time.
To end the year, Gout has been honoured with a place on the prestigious Forbes Australia’s 30 Under 30 list, becoming the youngest member to be included in a group that features individuals from the world of business, sport and culture.
It comes after the sprinter signed a lucrative sponsorship deal with Adidas worth over $6 million, which includes bonuses for performance.
"Gout Gout. It’s a name you’ll want to remember," said Forbes Australia in a post on Instagram.
"He first went viral as the 16-year-old tearing down the Brisbane race track with a 10.29 that blew up social feeds and caught the attention of the athletics world.
"He now holds a $6 million deal with @adidas, national age records in the 100m and 200m and has been running times that stack up against the world’s fastest."
They added: "This year he lands on Forbes Australia’s 30 Under 30 list as the youngest member, with LA 2028 and Brisbane 2032 well within his sight."
To put the achievement into perspective, Usain Bolt was 26 when he made the list in 2012, while Olympic 100m champion Noah Lyles was 25 when he received the honour in 2023.
Usain Bolt snubbed Gout Gout when naming the man he thinks can beat his 100m world record
Bolt's record of 9.58 has stood since 2009 and hasn't come close to being beaten by any sprinter past or present.
Speaking in an interview on The Fix Podcast, the Jamaican snubbed Noah Lyles and Gout Gout when discussing the record, and instead named his compatriot Oblique Seville as the man that could finally smash the 9.58 barrier.
He said: "I feel like Oblique can do it [break my record]. If he can stay fit during the season and get it right, I feel he can do it. Because I am sure there is something there, the ability to do it.
"Some of the time Oblique can be fragile. It's a matter of the work situation or whatever, but if he's doing enough work, he can do it."
Bolt added: "It's a matter of time because he's not missed the finals yet, so it's just to get over the hump."
Topics: Athletics, Gout Gout, Usain Bolt, Noah Lyles
Jack Kenmare