Australian sprint prodigy Gout Gout dipped under the magic 10-second mark for the 100m twice on Friday to showcase his burgeoning potential, but both times were wind-assisted so did not officially count.
Gout rose to prominence in December when he clocked the quickest 200m time ever by a 16-year-old (20.04 secs), bettering Usain Bolt’s personal best at the same age.
He turned heads again in March with a 20.05 in Brisbane — the fastest in the world this year.
Now 17, he powered home in his 100m heat at the Australian Athletics Championships in Perth in 9.99, then clocked the same time in the final.
Both were made with an illegal tailwind and will not make the record books, but it was another warning shot leading into the world championships in Japan this year.
“I mean, that’s what I was hoping for,” Gout said of breaching 10 seconds.
“I didn’t get the start I anticipated (in the final), but I just focused on what I needed to focus on. Can’t be happier than that.”
Gout chose to contest the under-20 category for the meet, avoiding his main Australian competitor Lachlan Kennedy, who ran a personal best 10.03 in March.
Kennedy, 21, is competing in the open field for the 100m on Friday and Saturday, also aiming to crack the 10-second barrier.
Gout and Kennedy will compete against each other in the 200m on Sunday.
The lanky Gout, who was born in Australia after his parents migrated from South Sudan, has drawn comparisons with eight-time Olympic gold medallist Bolt.
World Athletics President Sebastian Coe recently described the teen sprinter as a rare talent, but needing “nurturing and protecting”.
