Fans cop disappointing news about Gout Gout amid historic Aussie athletics move
Aussie sprint sensation Gout Gout won't be taking part in the men's team events at the World Athletics Relays with the 17-year-old star seemingly being managed ahead of his showdown with Noah Lyles later this year. Gout will officially represent Australia at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo after earning a call-up for the 200m event.
However, Athletics Australia have opted not to name Gout in either the 4x100m or 4x400m events next month in China in a move that could be designed to slowly introduce him to men's open competition. Other than his favourite 200m event, Gout has not raced in open competition with the 17-year-old still competing in his age group.
Despite the competition, Gout is still sending shockwaves around the world with his performances. Gout sent a message to 200m world champion Lyles earlier this year when he bettered the American's best run.
He also recorded the fastest under-18 400m time for an Australian in 35 years. Gout clocked 46.20 seconds in the 400m at the Joanna Stone Shield meet in Brisbane, which was almost a second under Lyles' personal best for the distance. Gout's personal best for the 100m remains 10.17 seconds, despite going under the 10 second mark twice in Perth earlier this month. Both those times were wind-assisted and did not count as an official time.
And Gout appears to have been overlooked for the relay team in both the 100 and 400 events. While there has been no official word, Athletics Australia could be managing the 17-year-old who isn't accustomed to competing in the men's open field. Australia named their relay teams to compete at the championships in May with points on offer for the World Athletics Championships later this year. Australia will compete in all six events for the very first time, which highlights the strength of the current track athletes around the country.
Australian record-holder Torrie Lewis will lead the women's 4x100m relay team. Lewis won the Maurie Plant Meet in Melbourne after holding off 17-year-old rising star Leah O'Brien and Bree Rizzo in a three-way photo-finish. And Aussie male sprint star Lachlan Kennedy will lead the Aussie men's 100m relay.
'I'm feeling really confident for this team, we can definitely qualify for Tokyo. The camps we've had as part of the relay program have been really great this year," Kennedy said in an Australian Athletics press release. "The rivalry between us all as individual sprinters is still there within camps and we all still compete with each other, but we all want to be the best at World Relays."
Kennedy will lead Australia in the 100m relay having recorded the fastest time of 10.03. He has also been named to represent Australia in the World Athletics Championships. Gout has already set his sight on his first event wearing Australian colours as he will set-up a showdown with world champion Lyles.
Gout became a national sensation when he broke Peter Norman's 56-year-old Australian 200m record late last year. The 17-year-old clocked in at 20.04 seconds - a time faster than what Usain Bolt ran at the same age (20.13).
In a twist, Kennedy actually upstaged Gout last month in the men's 200m at the Maurie Plant Meet in Melbourne. Despite being upstaged, Gout is already making a name for himself overseas having trained with Lyles.
Meanwhile, the Victorian Athletics president has told the Wide World of Sports they are interested in enticing stars such as Sha'Carri Richardson or Lyles to the event next year. President Matt McDonough told the publication some local backers are interested in bringing over the likes of Richardson or Lyles to the race after the success of 2025. But he also claimed Gout's influence in bringing in large crowds this year could be the star power they need.
"There are a couple of people angling in that space ... There are a few influential people that have some backing that suggested they're going to try to see what they can do. There's plenty of people around with money to support that," McDonough said.
"Someone might say, 'Look, we can spend half a million to get Noah Lyles', and he might not come for that. "Who knows? By the time we get to next year Gout could be just as big as Noah Lyles. So are we better off just spending a bit more money to ensure Gout comes back, rather than getting Noah Lyles?"
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