Latest news with #PeterBol
West Australian
4 days ago
- Sport
- West Australian
Bol returns to Elite Mile track that offered ‘stepping stone' for Olympic career
Veteran Olympic runner Peter Bol completed a triumphant return to Leonora at the weekend and claimed his second title during the Elite Male Mile — an event which helped launch his athletic career nine years earlier. Bol completed three laps of the Tower Street circuit in an impressive 4min. 6.43sec. to edge out Adam Goddard (4:6.80) and Matthew Ramsden (4:7.33) in a thrilling finish to this year's $65,000 Leonora Golden Gift program. The 31-year-old arrived in the northern Goldfields town with the fastest 800m time in Australian history, 1:43.79 set in Perth in April. A veteran of three Olympics (2016, 2021, 2024), Bol won his semifinal at the Paris Games in 2021 before running a close fourth in the final — missing out on a bronze medal by 0.53sec. In 2016, he became the first WA runner to claim victory in the lucrative Elite Male Mile at 22 years old. On Sunday, he described his first Leonora Golden Gift victory as a vital 'stepping stone' to his Olympic career. 'Nine years ago, this was my stepping stone to my first Olympic Games and I really needed that funding,' he told the Kalgoorlie Miner. 'It was through Leonora that I was able to get the funding and go chase my dreams at the Olympic Games in Europe. 'It's great to come back after nine years and then win again.' Resurfacing of the Tower Street circuit was completed last week, for which Bol said he was 'grateful'. 'I noticed it straight away,' he said. 'It made it pretty quick, I think that was one of the fastest miles on this course. 'That's not because we're fitter, but because of the surface here and the weather that kind of played to our advantage.' After his victory, Bol engaged with spectators and invited children to join him on a cool-down lap of the circuit. The star athlete was then reunited with a runner he once coached during a visit to Leonora more than a decade ago. 'Over 10 years ago I used to come out here and do clinics,' Bol said. 'One of the (spectators) . . . came up to me and said 'I met you about 10 years ago', and I was like, that's pretty incredible that he remembered. 'He introduced me to his family, and we got photos together. 'I love the community over here. I do believe everyone deserves a chance.' The Sudanese-born runner said he hoped to inspire the next generation. 'If you just kind of keep going and chasing your dreams, you'll get there,' he said. 'I come from Thornlie, and even back then I came from Sudan and Egypt. 'I've been able to make my life over here and (become) a three-time Olympian, Young Australian of the Year, so many accomplishments. 'That's all credit to the community, it's really important and we've got that here.' The Olympian said he hoped to return to the Goldfields town next year to engage with the community further. 'We'll have a chat, probably to the Shire of Leonora, to come out here a few days earlier and (engage) with the community, rather than just coming to run and go,' he said. Elite Mile winners pocketed $7500 in prize money and a one-ounce gold coin valued at more than $5000.
West Australian
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- West Australian
Leonora hive of activity once again as Golden Gift takes over Goldfields town
The northern Goldfields town of Leonora was once again a hive of activity on the WA Day long weekend as the annual Golden Gift athletics and community festival took over the town. The two-day carnival for all age ranges peaked on Sunday afternoon with the men's and women's elite mile races, with Olympian Peter Bol the headline runner in the men's event. The total prize pool this year was $65,000. Other running events on the town's main street on Sunday included 120m, 600m and mile events for all ages. Saturday saw the popular work boot sprint, as well as children's activities, a fireworks display and performances from bands — this year Coterie and Renegade were the featured acts. A bowls tournament took place during the weekend, and the Leonora Art Prize was opened. The Golden Gift usually takes place in conjunction with the annual Goldfields Cyclassic, however this event was cancelled this year. Full coverage in the Kalgoorlie Miner this week.
Daily Mail
27-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Aussie sprint sensation Gout Gout has been compared to Usain Bolt, but first he had to take part in a very important teenage milestone
Australia's teenage sprinting phenom Gout Gout is used to the roar of stadiums and the flash of finish-line cameras and sometimes it can be easy to forget he is still a schoolboy. But this month, the 17-year-old track star swapped his racing spikes for polished black shoes and a sharp suit. Gout, who attends Ipswich Grammar School, marked a major rite of passage by attending his Year 12 formal in Brisbane. He arrived in unforgettable style at Victoria Park in a stretch pink Hummer. Two weeks later, Gout posted a photo carousel from the big night on Instagram, and it quickly drew widespread attention. Wearing a fitted black suit with a dark-red paisley tie and matching boutonniere, the sprinter looked every bit the star. He was joined by his formal date Asha, who wore a red strapless gown with a matching corsage. The couple posed for playful snaps, looking co-ordinated and confident as friends and fans cheered them on. 'I step light, but my presence heavy,' Gout captioned the post - a nod to both his lightning speed and growing public profile. Classmates flooded the comments with fire and heart emojis. One called it the 'hard launch we've all been waiting for,' referencing his previously private personal life. Another simply wrote 'Double G live in the flesh.' Among the likes were NRL stars Sam Walker and Ezra Mam, and Olympic runner Peter Bol. Gout's journey from formal to finish line has been anything but typical. Born in December 2007 in Ipswich, Queensland, he is the son of South Sudanese parents who migrated to Australia before his birth. Initially drawn to soccer, Gout discovered sprinting in his early teens and never looked back. By 15, he had broken the Australian under-18 200m record. Then came a national headline: 200m in 20.04 seconds, a new Oceanian and Australian record. In April this year, he ran a wind-assisted 9.99 seconds in the 100m, drawing comparisons to Usain Bolt. Now coached by Diane Sheppard, Gout has signed a professional deal with Adidas. While the formal was a personal milestone, his next chapter will unfold on a global stage. He will make his senior debut for Australia at the 2025 World Athletics Championships in Tokyo. The teenager will face world-class athletes in Monaco and Ostrava in the lead-up to that debut. Those Diamond League meets are part of his preparation and experience-building phase. Gout has already tested himself on the national stage, reaching the semi-finals at the Stawell Gift in April. Despite the global buzz, he's still juggling schoolwork and sprint drills back home in Ipswich. He continues to study while dreaming big - of Brisbane 2032. Gout hopes to claim double Olympic gold on home soil in the 100m and 200m.
Reuters
23-04-2025
- Sport
- Reuters
Australia's Gout on track for World Championships debut at 17
Peter Bol, who ran fourth in the 800 at the Tokyo Olympics, will return to the Japanese capital in good form after taking the national record (1:43.79) at the Perth championships.
