Teenage sensation Gout Gout on Tuesday set a new personal best and an Australian national record to win the men’s 200-metre event at the Ostrava Golden Spike Meet in the Czech Republic, Afrosport reports.
The 17-year-old, on his senior international and European debut, clocked a time of 20.02 seconds to set an Oceanian area record and finish ahead of Cuban Reynier Mena, who settled for second place.
Mena, who had won the last two Diamond League 200m races, clocked 20.19s, while Great Britain’s Nethaneel Mitchell-Blake finished third with a season’s best 20.60s.
Dream European debut ✨
Watch 🇦🇺’s Gout Gout power to 20.02 in the men’s 200m at @ZlataTretra 😎
First senior race abroad ✅
First race ever in Europe ✅
First senior win abroad ✅
Breaks area record ✅ #ContinentalTourGold pic.twitter.com/6FSW00Y933— World Athletics (@WorldAthletics) June 24, 2025
Gout, who is of South Sudanese descent, broke his previous personal best of 20.04s, which he achieved after breaking Olympic silver medallist Peter Norman’s long-standing Australian record last December.
He currently holds the Australian under-16 records in both the 100m and 200m and won the national under-20 100m title last year before securing a 200m silver medal in the World Under-20 Championships in Lima.
Gout will continue his preparation towards the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo, as he will compete at the Monaco Diamond League at Stade Louis II on 11 July.
This year’s World Championships is scheduled to take place from 13-21 September.
