Australian sprinter Gout Gout blazed to a new national record of 19.67 seconds in the 200 meters at the Australian Athletics Championships in Sydney. The 18-year-old is the first Australian man to break the 20-second barrier in legal conditions.
Aidan Murphy also dipped under 20 seconds, finishing second with 19.88. Calab Law took third in 20.21.
Gout's performance also surpasses the previous world Under-20 mark. He expressed immense relief and confidence following the record-breaking run, stating he had been targeting this achievement for months.
The championship saw Gout's main rival, Lachlan Kennedy, withdraw from the 200m race due to workload management. Kennedy had previously won the 100 meters in 9.96 seconds. Kennedy is now targeting the Commonwealth Games, while Gout aims for gold at the world under-20 championships in Eugene, Oregon.