Gout Gout Receives Massive Honour That Usain Bolt and Noah Lyles Missed Out On

While sprinting giants Noah Lyles and Kishane Thompson captured headlines last year, a teenage phenom was making waves down under.

At just 16, Australia's Gout Gout shattered a 56-year-old national record with a blistering 20.04-second 200m at the Australian All Schools Championships, putting the athletics world on notice.

Now 17, Gout has achieved a milestone that eluded even Usain Bolt and Noah Lyles at his age: a place on the prestigious Forbes 30 Under 30 list.

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For comparison, Bolt was 26 when he made the list in 2012, and Lyles was 25 when he received the honor in 2023. Gout's inclusion as a teenager underscores his meteoric rise in the sport.

The young Australian's on-track performances have been equally impressive. At the recent World Athletics Championships, he narrowly missed the 200m final, clocking 20.36 seconds for a fourth-place finish in his semifinal.

Earlier this year, he also recorded an unofficial, hand-timed 9.94-second 100m at a school meet in Queensland—a mark remarkably close to Lyles' gold-medal-winning 9.89 seconds at the World Championships.

Gout's rapid progression has not gone unnoticed by the sport's elite. Lyles himself has acknowledged the young sprinter's immense potential, admitting Gout is ahead of where he was at the same age.

"He’s more talented at 17 than I was," Lyles stated, noting his own times were 10.14s in the 100m and 20.18s in the 200m at that age. "Gout’s an amazing kid. He’s got a great head on him, a great team around him."

Lyles also offered insight into the challenges Gout will face as he transitions to the professional circuit. "The thing I always look for when I’m looking at younger talent is, ‘Hey, are you just going to be able to train into shape?’ Because when you’re in high school, you’re able to get races all the time... But as a pro, you’ve got to come prepared already."

Usain Bolt, who also tasted success as a youth champion, echoed Lyles' sentiments, praising Gout's talent while cautioning about the difficult leap from junior to senior competition.

"It’s always easier when you’re younger... but the transition to senior from junior is always tougher," Bolt explained. "It’s all about if you get the right coach, the right people around you, if you’re focused enough. There will be a lot of factors to determine if he’s going to be great."

After concluding his junior career with a personal best of 46.14 seconds in the 400m at the GPS Track and Field Championships in Brisbane, Gout is setting his sights on senior international competition. "This is the place where I found my speed," he reflected. "It definitely feels sad, but I’m definitely grateful."

Initially expected to compete at the World Junior Athletics Championships next year, Gout's team has shifted focus toward the upcoming Commonwealth Games in Glasgow. His manager, James Templeton, confirmed the plan, stating, "We are planning that Gout will be available to run at an event in Glasgow before going on to the World Juniors."

The announcement was welcomed by Petria Thomas, Australia’s chef de mission for Glasgow 2026. "It’s very exciting when our best athletes publicly announce their intention to be at the Games," Thomas told ABC Sport. "There is of course a qualification process that all of our athletes will need to go through; a lot can happen in the year leading into a Games."

Hailed as a potential global superstar, Gout Gout has already left an indelible mark on Australian athletics. As he prepares to take on the world stage, the question on everyone's mind is whether he can one day surpass the legendary careers of Usain Bolt and Noah Lyles.