Gout Gout breaks unusual record in fine comeback run

Gout Gout needed a pressure-releasing run and in the Czech Republic he got it.

The 18-year-old Australian sprint sensation had a fine run over the unusual distance of 150 metres at the Ostrava Golden Spike on Wednesday (AEST), finishing third in 14.96 seconds.

He ran the fastest 150m time by an Australian on record and set a new world under-20 record, to go with the world under-20 record he set in the 200m at the national championships in Sydney in April.

Olympic and world champion Noah Lyles – an occasional training partner of Gout’s – won the race in 14.67 seconds to shatter the world record.

Gout’s result follows an underwhelming 200m at the Oslo Diamond League last week, where he clocked 20.60 and finished sixth.

The winner of that race, Olympic gold medallist Letsile Tebogo, said post-race Gout should “play with his age mates”, as criticism of the teen phenom flooded social media.

Gout was bursting with delight after his run in Czechia.

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“This is definitely a race I’ve been needing after Oslo, I’m glad I got it and I’m ready for more,” the Ipswich-born prodigy told Mitch Dyer from Straight At It.

“Obviously usually when I get a bad start it’s hard for me to come back, but I had an OK start and I brought it home, for sure.”

Gout emerged off the bend in sixth before slingshotting into the straight in trademark style and storming home to nab a spot on the podium.

Lyles (14.67) was joined on the podium by South Africa’s Sinesipho Dambile (14.78) and Gout (14.96).

There was one other 18-year-old in the eight-man field – the last-placed Antonios Katsantonis. Outside Gout and Katsantonis, the youngest was 22-year-old Benjamin Richardson – one of the athletes Gout left in his wake on the straight.

Gout celebrated wildly with Lyles in the immediate moments after the race.

The training buddies and Adidas stablemates “dapped it up”, as the cool brigade likes to say. For those who aren’t aware, it’s a form of trendy handshake.

“It wasn’t planned, but it happened, so I guess it was history,” Gout smiled.

The Queenslander will next line up over 200m at the prestigious Prefontaine Classic, which doubles as the Eugene Diamond League, on July 5 (AEST).

He’s opted against running at the Glasgow Commonwealth Games next month.

Instead, he will suit up at the world under-20 championships in Eugene in August, contesting the 200m and 4x400m relay.

A winner of silver in the 200m at the last world under-20 titles, he wants to claim elusive gold in his final crack at the junior championship.

At the Ostrava Golden Spike on Wednesday (AEST), Australia’s Peter Bol won the 1000m in 2:15.13 to break the national record in the rarely run event.

Meanwhile, Australia’s Torrie Lewis finished fourth in the 100m in 11.28 seconds.