Gout runs hot in Europe to break Aussie 200m record
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Australian teenage sprint sensation Gout Gout has crushed the field in his first senior race abroad, bettering his own national 200m record at the Ostrava Golden Spike.
The 17-year-old beat his old mark by two-hundredths of a second to finish in 20.02 seconds.
He wasn’t the only Australian winner at the meet, with Peter Bol taking out the 800m race.
Gout ran a textbook race in his European debut at the World Athletics Continental Tour Gold event in the Czech Republic on Tuesday (Wednesday AEST), crossing the line 0.17 seconds ahead of Cuban Reynier Mena, with Briton Nethaneel Mitchell-Blake (20.60) third.
“I’ve felt stronger in training these last couple of months and I’ve felt good since I got to Europe last Thursday,” Gout said.
“I knew Mena would come hard at me the first 100, but I was confident I’d be close enough to come home strongly in the second part of the race, which is of course my stronger part.
“I felt calm but strong as I came off the turn and was confident I’d be strong enough to get the win.
“Another national record! Pretty happy with that, it’s not a bad first-up in Europe!”
Gout has drawn comparisons to Jamaican great Usain Bolt, and made headlines in December when he broke Peter Norman’s national record 0f 20.04, which had stood for 56 years.
The Queensland teenager was confirmed in April for Australia’s team for the world championships in Tokyo in September.
In another great result for Australia, veteran West Australian Bol produced his second-fastest time in the 800m, taking victory in 1:43.80 – just 0.01 seconds outside his national record set at the Australian championships in April.
Making his move with one lap to go, Bol dominated the field with his signature composure and acceleration, cruising to another victory.
Gout wasn’t the only teenage to shine in Ostrava, with 18-year-old Cameron Myers delivering the performance of a lifetime in the men’s 1500m, clocking 3:29.80 to smash his own Australian under-20 record by nearly three seconds.
Finishing fourth in the hotly contested race, the performance moves Myers to third on the Australian all-time list, just 0.39 shy of Oliver Hoare’s record of 3:29.41 set in 2023.
“My fastest races the last two years have been miles,” Myers said.
“It’s a coincidence, but it’s really good to have a fast 1500m and I’m really pleased to get a PB and my first time under 3:30.”
On the field, West Australian pole vaulter Kurtis Marschall cleared 5.82m to take third place. With a clean sheet until his final clearance, Marschall was unable to clear 5.92m, and passed in his remaining attempts to aim for a new personal best of 5.97m.
Marschall had to settle for bronze, only defeated by two six-metre jumpers in Mondo Duplantis, who broke his own meeting record with a 6.13m vault, and Greek entrant Emmanouil Karalis, who cleared 5.92m.
Australia’s fastest woman, Torrie Lewis, clocked 11.26 (+0.6) to finish sixth in the 100m.
– with Reuters
AAP
