Latest news with #AustralianJuniorAthleticsChampionships
Daily Mirror
11 hours ago
- Sport
- Daily Mirror
Gout Gout's most expensive buy says a lot about him as he makes admission
Gout Gout has taken the athletics world by storm at the tender age of just 17 - but the Australian sprinting sensation has remained incredibly level-headed in his spending Gout Gout has shown remarkable restraint with his finances despite his rapid rise in the athletics world at the age of just 17. Hailing from Queensland, Australia, where he was born two years after his parents fled South Sudan, Gout Gout quickly developed a passion for sports. Initially an enthusiastic footballer, he soon shifted focus to sprinting, excelling particularly in the 100m and 200m events. Gout Gout first made waves at 15 when he shattered the Australian U18 men's 200m record, clocking in at 20.87 seconds during the Australian Junior Athletics Championships. But it was in December 2024 that he truly stunned the world. The young athlete blazed through the 200m final of the Australian All Schools Athletics Championship in 20.04 seconds, securing the second-fastest U18 time ever recorded, surpassing Usain Bolt's record in the same age bracket and breaking the Australian and Oceanian record previously held by Peter Norman since 1968. Despite the potential for newfound wealth to turn heads, Gout Gout has stayed grounded. In a candid chat with GQ, he revealed he has been modest with his spending, explaining: "I've saved a lot and I bought myself a new car when I got my Ps, so that's probably the biggest purchase I've made so far. I haven't gone crazy." Showing his true colours, he also shared his commitment to looking after his loved ones, adding: "Long term, I'd like to set myself up and set my family up." While he may be a few years off from Olympic glory, Gout Gout has already made waves in athletics, grabbing silver in the 200m at the 2024 World Championships in Lima and securing fifth in the 4x100m relay at the same event. On top of his international exploits, the youngster has dominated domestically, winning the U20 100m and the 200m at this year's Australian Athletics Championships with blistering times of 9.99 and 19.84 seconds, respectively. His striking achievements at a tender age have led to comparisons with the legendary Bolt, who captured eight Olympic golds and another eleven at World Championships during his own career. Embracing high aspirations, Gout Gout told FOX Sports Australia about his ambition to emulate Bolt's incredible dominance. He said: "The limit is just obviously winning Olympics and winning World Championships, and honestly dominating like Bolt did. I think that's a limit that's reachable for me." Although comparisons with Bolt have been frequent, the athlete expressed feelings of mild irritation at constantly being likened to the sprinting giant. Speaking to Nine last year, he said: "My stride length is pretty long, my knee height is pretty high and just the amount of tallness I get when I'm running. "I'm just me trying to be me. Obviously, I do run like him. I do sometimes look like him, but obviously, I'm making a name for myself, and I think I've done that pretty well. I just want to continue doing that and continue to be not only Usain Bolt but continue to be Gout Gout."
West Australian
26-05-2025
- Sport
- West Australian
Teen sprinter Leah O'Brien among Aussie students aiming for sports scholarships at US colleges
Teenage sprint sensation Leah O'Brien has always dreamt of attending US college Stanford University on an athletics scholarship. But the Perth schoolgirl was told last year she would need to significantly improve her times before the top-tier university would consider her. Then she blew away a 57-year-old Australian record — and now Stanford is just one in a long line of colleges that have come knocking on her door. The 17-year-old is one of a growing number of WA high school students shunning Australian universities to apply for sports scholarships in the US. Alexia Bates, director at one of Australia's biggest college recruiters, Study and Play USA, said the number of students they helped send to America each year had surged 200 per cent in the past decade. Ms Bates said the firm signed up to 125 students a year. Around one-third of those came from WA schools, including from Applecross Senior High — which has a specialist tennis program — Scotch College, Methodist Ladies' College and Aquinas College. Families usually signed on three or four years before a student was old enough to go to college. Ms Bates said not every athlete who applied was aiming for a professional career in their sport. Most were using a sport they loved as a vehicle to be able to live and study in another country, with some or all of their degree paid for. The firm, which started 20 years ago with a focus on tennis, now recruits students from a wide range of sports, including athletics, water polo, rowing, golf and basketball. 'They just want the best,' she said. '(Australians) have got a really great reputation over there as being great team players. 'Culturally, we're not too different, the language barrier is non-existent. And our education system here is so good, they know they're getting good students. All of those things combined make Aussies a really good choice.' Ms Bates said the US had more than 4500 universities and students went to wherever was the best fit for them, academically, athletically and financially. Student athletes did not necessarily have to be elite performers, unless they were aiming for a popular sport like basketball where they were competing against thousands of Americans. 'Whereas sports like track and field, there's more scholarships than any other sport,' she said. 'Australia has the best high school rowers in the world, so those coaches fly to Australia every year. 'It depends on the sport. If you're a female rower, the opportunity is unbelievable. If you're a male basketball player ... it's a slog because of how competitive it is.' In April, at the Australian Junior Athletics Championships, Leah O'Brien broke the under-18 100m record Australian Olympic legend Raelene Boyle had set 57 years ago. Now in Year 12 at Perth College, Leah said she had loved athletics since she was eight and had always known she wanted to continue in the sport while studying. 'Obviously there's lots of opportunities here in Australia ... but a free degree, that's just something you can't really turn down,' she said. 'To be able to study and also do athletics at a college would be an amazing opportunity. A lot of the facilities at colleges are unmatched and there's so many great coaches.' One thing she won't need to worry about is a visa, because she is a dual US-Australian citizen. Leah, who is juggling her training with completing four ATAR subjects, is now considering four or five colleges, all offering full scholarships. They will also pay for her to visit the US later this year to check out the different campuses. 'The Stanford coach now has expressed his interest in me and I'm working to get my application through,' she said. 'I am interested in them, but there's a few other schools I'm very interested in as well. It's going to be hard at the end of the day to decide which one's my favourite.'
