Gout Gout has celebrated another major milestone in his athletics career, officially named to debut for Australia’s senior team at the Tokyo world championships in September.
The 17-year-old took the world by storm over the summer with a run of stirring performances across the 100m and 200m distances.
While he stuck to under-20 competition for the 100m, he competed against men in the 200m and will now test himself against the best in the world in his pet event.
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“I’m super excited to be picked to run the 200 in Tokyo at the world championships!” Gout said in an Australian Athletics statement.
“That’s what we’ve been aiming for. I’m looking forward to September being part of my first Australian senior team and looking forward to seeing what I can do against the best of the best.”
Gout, who won 200m silver at the world under-20 championships last year, will be hunting down Olympic 100m gold medallist Noah Lyles, telling the American on his own podcast in January that he was coming for him.
Gout obliterated the long-standing national record with a time of 20.04 seconds in December, setting the stage for selection to the world championships team.
The Year 12 student ran 19.84 with an illegal tailwind to win the final at the Australian championships this month and, three days before that, cracked the 10-second barrier in the 100m when he ran an illegal 9.99.
Gout could add the 100m and 4x100m relay to his schedule at the world championships, while for now his friendly rival Lachlan Kennedy has been named to chase 100m glory.
Kennedy shot to international prominence when he won 60m silver at the world indoor championships in March.
But he lost the 100m final at the Australian championships to resurgent star Rohan Browning.
Australia’s 18-year-old middle-distance sensation Cam Myers will tackle his favoured 1500m, as will Sarah Billings.
The resurgent Peter Bol is joined in 800m contention by Peyton Craig, Abbey Caldwell and Claudia Hollingsworth.
Paris Olympics bronze medallist Jemima Montag will look to go one better than her 2023 world championships silver in the 20km race walk, while her relay bronze medallist partner Rhydian Cowley is also named for the men’s event.
Eleanor Patterson has been named to contest high jump as she seeks to replicate her 2022 gold medal triumph.
Her high jump rival and friend Nicola Olyslagers will be added to the team in the coming months, alongside Paris Olympics pole vault gold medallist Nina Kennedy, 1500m silver medallist Jessica Hull and discus titan Matt Denny.
Australian Athletics also named Paralympic champions and world record-holders James Turner and Vanessa Low among the team for the New Delhi world para athletics championships in September and October.
Low set a new long jump T61 world record of 5.71m at the Australian championships earlier this month.
“The last couple of weeks I felt like something clicked and I had my pop back. In jumps, it’s a funny world — it can be all there but it’s about doing it on the day and feeling that perfect jump,” Low said.
“We want to hit the six-metre mark which is our big goal behind the scenes. We have been working hard turning all the little rocks over to find the last one per cent, and we feel like it’s possible.
“It’s a really big mark to work towards but I know it’s there and I want to set the standard for the next generation to come.”
Australian world championships squad
100m: Lachlan Kennedy (QLD)
200m: Gout Gout (QLD)
800m: Peter Bol (WA), Peyton Craig (QLD), Abbey Caldwell (VIC), Claudia Hollingsworth (VIC)
1500m: Cameron Myers (ACT), Sarah Billings (VIC)
20km race walk: Rhydian Cowley (VIC), Jemima Montag (VIC), Rebecca Henderson (VIC)
35km race walk: Cowley, Olivia Sandery (SA), Elizabeth McMillen (NSW)
400m hurdles: Sarah Carli (NSW)
Long jump: Liam Adcock (QLD)
High jump: Eleanor Patterson (VIC)
Javelin throw: Mackenzie Little (NSW)
Australian world para championships squad
100m: James Turner (ACT, T36), Rheed McCracken (NSW, T34)
200m: Mali Lovell (NSW, T36)
400m: Turner, McCracken
800m: McCracken
1500m: Reece Langdon (VIC, T38), Michael Roeger (SA, T46)
Long jump: Vanessa Low (ACT, T61)
Javelin throw: Dayna Crees (VIC, F34), Michal Burian (VIC, F44)
- with AAP
