‘Athletics Makes a Comeback: Gout Gout Sparks Unprecedented 24-Year Commercial Revival’

Teen sprint prodigy Gout Gout is set to make waves at Melbourne’s Maurie Plant Meet, triggering an unprecedented occurrence in Australian athletics that hasn’t been seen in 24 years.

For the first time since 2001, when Lakeside Stadium in Albert Park hosted two IAAF Grand Prix events, including the final of that season, a single-day athletics meeting in Australia has completely sold out.

Australian Athletics (AA) announced on Friday that Lakeside Stadium will welcome a packed crowd of 10,000 spectators on Saturday night.

Back in 2001, large audiences flocked to the events in the aftermath of the Sydney 2000 Olympics, aided by middle-distance legends Hicham El Guerrouj and Bernard Lagat travelling to Australia to compete.

Highlighting the event will be Botswana’s Letsile Tebogo, who is the reigning Olympic champion in the men’s 200 metres and will compete in the 400m at the meet.

Undoubtedly, however, the primary catalyst for this 24-year milestone is Gout, who is slated to run the 200m in the Peter Norman Memorial event.

The young star from Ipswich made headlines in December when he broke the Australian open record for the 200m, setting a time of 20.04 seconds — surpassing the previous record of 20.06 held by Peter Norman from the 1968 Olympics in Mexico City.

At just 16 years old, Gout’s time of 20.04 seconds also outpaced the fastest recorded time (20.13) by Jamaican sprint icon Usain Bolt at the same age.

Now 17, Gout recently achieved another remarkable milestone, running the 200m in an impressive 19.98 seconds, making him the first Australian to break the 20-second barrier, albeit aided by an illegal wind.

At the tender age of 16, he signed an eight-year deal with Adidas reportedly worth $6 million a year, and his performances have gone viral globally.

Bolt himself commented on one of Gout’s races, saying, “He looks like a young me.”

Australian Athletics CEO Simon Hollingsworth remarked that the Maurie Plant Meet has truly “captured the public’s imagination.” He added, “Selling out a one-day athletics meet in Australia after more than two decades is thrilling—not just for this particular event, but for the athletes and the sport as a whole. Athletics is making a comeback in a big way.”

“We’re witnessing the emergence of young stars like Gout Gout on the global stage, and we are approaching a time when we could soon have a group of athletes racing under the 10-second mark in the competitive 100m event, as well as impressive medal counts at the Olympics and nearly every World Athletics event,” he continued.
“Athletics is being embraced once again as a source of entertainment, and fans are responding positively.”

In the 200m event, Gout will face tough competition from Lachlan Kennedy, a 21-year-old who recently won silver in the 60m at the World Athletics Indoor Championships in China.

Kennedy boasts a personal best of 10.03 in the 100m and is among a group of sprinters eager to become the first Australian since 2003—only the second in history—to break the 10-second barrier.

Other notable athletes set to compete at the Maurie Plant Meet include 18-year-old middle-distance talent Cameron Myers and gifted 15-year-old New Zealander Sam Ruthe, who recently became the youngest person globally to run a sub-four-minute mile.

Myers, Ruthe, and Commonwealth Games champion Oliver Hoare will all participate in the 1500m event as part of the John Landy Memorial.

Keep an eye on high jumper Eleanor Patterson, who recently secured silver at the World Indoor Championships as another exciting competitor to watch.