World Athletics Championship 2025: Why Australia Is Betting Big on Gout Gout’s Golden Future

Australian sprinting prodigy Gout Gout is set to make his highly anticipated world championships debut in Tokyo this month, igniting a wave of excitement across the nation.

The 17-year-old has already captured the imagination of fans and experts alike, with many touting him as the future of Australian athletics and a potential Olympic champion come Brisbane 2032.

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Despite still being in his final year of high school in Ipswich, Queensland, Gout has quickly become one of the sport’s brightest stars.

“What is also now a matter not open for debate is that Gout is the real thing,” a Melbourne newspaper declared after the teenager’s sensational performance at the national championships as per China Daily.

“We are witnesses to greatness emerging in front of us by the race.”

Gout’s first senior international race in June saw him win the 200m at the Ostrava Golden Spike meet in 20.02 seconds, breaking his own Australian record.

That time places him equal-20th in the world this season, meaning he will likely need to step up another level to challenge for a spot in the final in Tokyo.

Australian athletics has not seen this kind of buzz in decades. Gout’s appearance at the Maurie Plant Meet in Melbourne drew 10,000 fans, the first sellout crowd for a one-day domestic meet in over 20 years.

At Easter, crowds in a Victorian gold rush town doubled to 6,000 just to watch him run in the historic Stawell Gift, even though he missed the final.

Athletes and officials have warned against piling too much expectation on the teenager’s shoulders.

But the warnings seem to have had little effect, with the media, fans, and sponsors already positioning him as the poster boy of Australian track and field.

The son of Sudanese immigrants, Gout lives with his large family in Spring Hill, sharing a room with one of his brothers despite signing a long-term deal with Adidas reportedly worth A$6 million.

His coach, Di Sheppard — a tough, silver-haired disciplinarian who once worked in the school uniform shop — has no doubt where this journey leads.

“I’m not suggesting it. He’s going to go to that level,” Sheppard told Australian TV earlier this year.

“Olympic gold. It might not be in ’28 (Los Angeles), but it’s definitely going to happen in 2032.”

His starts are still considered “relatively sluggish,” but his ability to surge in the second half of races makes him a thrilling athlete to watch.

His Tokyo appearance will be more than just a race — it will be Australia’s first real look at whether their young star can hold his own against the world’s best.

One thing is certain: whatever happens in Tokyo, Gout Gout has already changed the face of Australian athletics, drawing in a new generation of fans and inspiring dreams of Olympic glory in Brisbane seven years from now.