CNN
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Australian sprinter Gout Gout, 17, broke the 10-second barrier for the 100 meters not once, but twice in the same day.
The teenager, who had never dipped under the mark before, clocked 9.99 seconds in the under-20 100m heat before recording the same time in the final at the Australian Athletics Championships in Perth on Thursday.
However, neither time will count as his official personal best as both were assisted by illegally high tailwinds.
Going under 10 seconds for the first time is the latest achievement in Gout’s promising young career, which began getting global attention after he ran the 100m in 10.57 seconds as a 14-year-old in 2022.
He has already drawn comparisons with legendary sprinter Usain Bolt and is considered one of the fastest teenagers in the world.
On Thursday, Gout initially blitzed through the heats, easing up over the finish line to save his energy for the final, where he clocked the exact same time.
He didn’t have the best start in the final but quickly raced away from his rivals. This time the teenager didn’t ease up and continued to push before dipping over the line.
His time in the heat was assisted by a 3.5m/s tailwind, while his final time was aided by a 2.6m/s tailwind.
“That’s what I was hoping for. I didn’t get the start I anticipated but I just focused on what I needed to focus on, got through my drive phase and kept driving and saw the clock, so can’t be happier than that,” Gout said after the race when asked about breaking the 10-second barrier.
Gout has enjoyed some hot form this year, running a world-leading time of 20.05 seconds in the 200m in March, just 0.01 outside his own Australian record which he set in December.
He then followed it up by becoming the first-ever Australian to break the 20-second barrier for 200m, running 19.98 seconds in the Queensland State Championships. However, the time also won’t stand as an official record because of illegal wind conditions (+3.6m/s).
The speedy times have thrown Gout’s name into the limelight and he’s been touted as the heir to Bolt’s throne.
For Gout, though, it’s all about taking things one step at a time.
“Obviously there are those moments when the media gets too much but, at this moment, I just let it sink in and focus on training, focus on my race and get the job done,” he said.
Gout will be back at the same track to race in the men’s 200m event on Sunday when he will look to record a new personal best.