Australia's Gout set for World Athletics Championships in Tokyo
In the final, he then followed it up by becoming the first-ever Australian to break the 20-second mark with victory in 19.98 seconds.
Teen sprinter Gout Gout has been confirmed on Australia's team for the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo in September.
The 17-year-old son of South Sudanese immigrants will run in the 200 metres after clocking a wind-assisted 19.84 seconds in Perth this month to win his first national title.
Born in Queensland, his rapid rise has raised comparisons with Jamaican great Usain Bolt and made him the poster boy for Australian track and field, seven years before the country hosts the Brisbane Olympics in 2032.
"I'm super excited to be picked to run the 200 in Tokyo at the World Championships," Gout said in an Australian Athletics statement on Wednesday.
"That's what we've been aiming for. I'm looking forward to September and seeing what I can do against the best of the best."
Whilst competing in the heats of the Queensland State Championships, earlier this year in March, Gout ran a world-leading time of 20.05 seconds, which is just 0.01 shy of his own Australian record, as reported by CNN.
In the final, he then followed it up by becoming the first-ever Australian to break the 20-second mark with victory in 19.98 seconds.
However, the time won’t stand as an official record because of illegal wind conditions (+3.6m/s), the report added.
Australian Athletics Team – 2025 World Athletics Championships, Tokyo
100m – Lachlan Kennedy (QLD, Andrew Iselin)
200m – Gout Gout (QLD, Diane Sheppard)
800m – Peter Bol (WA, Justin Rinaldi), Peyton Craig (QLD, Brendan Mallyon & Craig Mottram), Abbey Caldwell (VIC, Gavin Burren), Claudia Hollingsworth (VIC, Craig Mottram)
1500m – Cameron Myers (ACT, Dick Telford), Sarah Billings (VIC, Nic Bideau)
20km Race Walk – Rhydian Cowley (VIC, Brent Vallance), Jemima Montag (VIC, Brent Vallance), Rebecca Henderson (VIC, Simon Baker)
35 km Race Walk – Cowley, Olivia Sandery (SA, Jared Tallent), Elizabeth McMillen (NSW, Jared Tallent)
400m Hurdles – Sarah Carli (NSW, Abbie Taddeo)
Long Jump – Liam Adcock (QLD)
High Jump – Eleanor Patterson (VIC, Fayaaz Caan)
Javelin Throw – Mackenzie Little (NSW, Angus McEntyre)
Australian Athletics Team – 2025 World Para Athletics Championships, New Delhi (8*):
100m – James Turner (ACT, Iryna Dvoskina, T36), Rheed McCracken (NSW, Louise Sauvage, T34)
200m – Mali Lovell (NSW, Katie Edwards, T36)
400m – Turner, McCracken
800m – McCracken
1500m – Reece Langdon (VIC, Tim O’Shaughnessy, T38), Michael Roeger (SA, Philo Saunders, T46)
Long Jump – Vanessa Low (ACT, Scott Reardon, T61)
Javelin Throw – Dayna Crees (VIC, Gordon Talbot, F34), Michal Burian (VIC, Dale Stevenson, F44)