Gout Gout overcame a strong headwind to clock an impressive 20.10 in a non-Diamond League under-23 men’s 200m race at the Meeting Herculis EBS 2025 in Monaco on Friday (11 July).
The Australian sprinting starlet, competing in the invitational race, received big cheers from the knowledgeable crowd at the Stade Louis II when he was introduced, such was the hype surrounding the 17-year-old.
In just his second race on European soil – his first produced a 20.02 Oceanian record last month in Ostrava, Czechia – all eyes were on Gout.
He started well, taking the bend smartly without going all out. As the field hit the straight, Gout found himself in third place. But he turned on the afterburners, overhauling first South Africa’s Naeem Jack, then, with around 50m to go, overtaking Botswana’s Busang Collen Kebinatshipi.
“My top-end speed is my secret, so I’ve just got to focus on the first 100, first 50, and once I get out of that bend, I know I can run people down,” Gout told media, including Olympics.com, trackside afterwards. “So [I thought]: stay relaxed, stay focused, and just power through.”
In the end, Gout came home in a quick 20.10, a time which looks even more impressive when you consider the strong -1.9m/s headwind he was running into.
“I know there was a little headwind, but those are the things you’ve just got to compete against,” Gout said.
“Those are the things you can’t control, you’ve just got to go out there, and try your best, whatever the conditions are, you’ve just got to go out there and run.”