A few milliseconds changed the verdict. And just like that, the 17-year-old Gout Gout’s attempt misfired. Or did it? Well, the Australian teen’s manager, James Templeton, had previously voiced bold ambitions. Breaking a time under 20 seconds in the 200 m? “That’s always on the cards” Templeton had claimed. But it turns out, it’s always easier said than done. Because what happened at the Queensland Athletics Championships 2025 this Sunday was absolutely surprising. Did Noah Lyles‘ teen rival just fall short in his claims?
Well, he did it over a razor-thin technicality. As per the latest update, Gout Gout ran a blistering 20.05s 200m time in the heats at the Queensland Athletics Championships. He was still 0.01s behind his personal best. But in the finals, he changed that. The teen representing the Tigers Athletic Club, clocked a brilliant 19.98 seconds in the final to beat Zaine Leigh (22.10) and Liam Atkinson (22.12) by entire seconds! They were nowhere in his league. With this, Gout Gout now has the fastest 200m by an Australian in all conditions.
However, there’s a catch. Gout Gout’s 19.98s time is not going to be counted as a record since the run was wind-assisted with tailwinds measuring at +3.6 m/s. And the rule says that in athletics competitions, only times set with wind assistance of below +2 m/s are eligible to be considered for records. So yes, in a way, he did fall short of the mark. And he did fall short of his promise to go sub-20. What a narrow shave. He ran an incredible time, but it ended up being deemed illegal for a +3.6 m/s wind behind him.
Gout Gout 20.05 (+1.4) World Lead pic.twitter.com/2bM32XtkKG
— The Erin Brown (@TheErinBrown) March 16, 2025
This story is developing…
The post Noah Lyles’ 17-Year-Old Rival Gout Gout Fails To Keep Team’s Promise at Queensland Athletics Championships appeared first on EssentiallySports.