Australian of the Year

Queensland teenager Gout Gout is mesmerising the world in his quest to become one of athletics’ global greats. At the 2024 Australian All Schools Athletics Championship, Gout ran the 200m in just 20.04 seconds, becoming the fastest 16-year-old in history and beating Usain Bolt's record at the same age. After a successful debut season in Europe in 2025, Gout broke his Australian record and the World Junior record with a time of 19.67seconds in April 2026.  

Born in Ipswich, after his parents migrated to Australia from South Sudan two years earlier, Gout is one of seven children. At Ipswich Grammar School he spent his early sporting years playing football, before being discovered at the age of 14 by his coach. With training, Gout’s performance skyrocketed. 

Gout dreams of running in the LA Olympics in 2028 and of course in the Brisbane 2032 Olympic Games in his hometown. His talent has ignited international interest in Australian athletics, demonstrating that greatness can be achieved without expensive equipment: just a pair of shoes combined with natural talent, training and focus.