Gout Gout breaks 200m record but run deemed 'illegal' and won't count

Teenage sensation Gout Gout won the Australian 200m title but then immediately had his record time dismissed. The 17-year-old crossed the line in 19.84 seconds, seemingly beating his own national record.

Gout's time made him the second fastest under-20 sprinter in history over that distance. American Erriyon Knighton still holds the record with his effort of 19.49 seconds at the LSU Invitational in 2022. However, the Queensland born sprinter barely had time to celebrate his win before being told his time wasn't valid.

The wind assistance was recorded at +2.2, above the permitted limit. Therefore, his time won't count as an official personal best or an Australian record.

Gout had to endure two false starts to the race before his victory. It meant a double success at the championships after winning the 100m title on Friday in 9.99, when the tailwind was also above the permitted limit.

Reagrdless, Gout was still delighted by his success. And after running a legal 20.21 seconds in the heats, he admitted that breaking the 20-second barrier over 200m, and 10 seconds over 100m, had been his targets.

"I've been chasing getting that sub-10, focusing on my first 100, and that's exactly what I did," he said in his post-race interview. "Feels pretty good."

On Channel 7 commentary, Mitch Dyer lauded Gout's effort despite the conditions: "It won't count in terms of a record, but what it will do, is say, 'Hey world, this is me! This kid is everything that we think he is."

In a touching moment after the race, Gout's rival Lachie Kennedy ran towards the victor to congratulate him. The pair hugged repeatedly to huge acclaim from the crowd.