“A deep, deep breath, maybe a little prayer, a ritual that we’re going to get used to.” Said the commentator as Gout Gout lined up for the Maurie Plant Meet, part of the World Athletics Continental Tour 2025 in the Lakeside Stadium, Melbourne, on March 29. Gout Gout entered the meet as fans’ favorite, and everyone expected nothing less than gold from him. But what happened next in the 200m men’s final was unexpected. The race began, and it wasn’t Gout Gout who took the lead, but rather it was Lachlan Kennedy! As the race progressed, the commentators’ pitch got higher, asking, “Can he get to Kennedy?” And did he? Well, he did NOT! The Australian track and field sensation, who was undefeated in his last three meets, lost. Kennedy was red hot after the silver in World Indoor and clocked 20.26, just 0.04 ahead of Gout Gout. If it had been 5 meters more, he might have even won. But Gout is not a man of ifs, as he braces the loss and faces the future. That being said, what’s the next stop for the Aussie?
The official X page of Ostrava Golden Spike, Zlatá tretra / Golden Spike, posted on March 31, 2025, with an announcement video, talking about Gout’s next move. They wrote, “After his senior debut last week, clocking 20.30 in the 200m in Melbourne, Gout Gout is looking forward to Ostrava.”
In his announcement video, the Australian track and field athlete can be found saying, “Hey guys, it’s Gout Gout from Australia. I’m super excited to announce I’ll be running in Oshawa in June. It will be my first European race ever.” Though first in Europe, this will be his only second race out of Australia.
Before this, he went to Peru for the World Athletics U20 Championships in 2024. There, he won a silver medal, clocking 20.60 seconds for the 200m. The 17-year-old loves the double hundred meters event. He even broke Usain Bolt’s record in there, and that is the distance he will be running in June. He further announced, “I’m running the 200 meters. I’ll see you guys there.“
After his senior debut last week, clocking 20.30 in the 200m in Melbourne, Gout Gout is looking forward to Ostrava pic.twitter.com/td7aXrSq2l
— Zlatá tretra / Golden Spike (@ZlataTretra) March 31, 2025
The Ostrava Golden Spike is all set to take place on June 24, 2025. This will be its 64th edition. It is the most important meeting on Czech soil and one of the oldest athletic competitions in Europe. Jakob Ingebrigtsen is going to be there. He won the 1500m there in 3:33.92 in 2020. Femke Bol will also be running, and many more to come. The addition of the Australian track and field sensation is simply delightful. This would be his second continental after the Melbourne one. For a 17-year-old, he did take the loss very well.
Gout Reacts to his loss in Maurie Plant Meet
The moment Kennedy crossed the finish line, a silence fell upon the crowd. The fan favorite had lost. But the silence was one before the storm because the very next moment, it erupted in cheers. Gout was initially shocked at the reaction, but he did take the loss well. In the post-race press meet, he said, “I just keep it simple, still a kid, still in high school, so can’t expect too much from me. I just keep it balanced by doing my work in school and then doing as much work I can do in school so I don’t have to go out of school, outside of training, and do it.” Well, he did run faster than Bolt when you compare both of them at 16, but the Aussie is still in school. He has been at Ipswich Grammar since he was 7.
His secret to the race? Being a kid. He said, “keeping it simple, keeping it chill, not putting too much pressure on myself, and just being out there and just being a kid.” The man is not disappointed by his silver. He said, “People will say winning feels great, second is bad, and third feels even worse, so coming second, something you can experience and definitely feels it puts fuel to my fire.” Well, not disappointed, but Gout Gout is definitely fueled for more.
And as far as Kennedy is concerned, well, Gout has nothing but love for him. “It’s not a new rivalry, but it’s a rivalry I appreciate, and I love Lucky. He’s also a Queenslander, and he’s just doing well out indoors, so congrats to him,” he said. He even took a somewhat philosophical take when he said, “Life is never normal, you’ve got the ups and downs, you’ve got the hurdles, you’ve got the rocks, you’ve got the sand, you’ve got the fire so it’s definitely not normal but it’s something I can get used to and something I can cope with.” Wise for a 17-year-old. What do you think of his loss? Also, what do you think June will bring for Gout Gout? Let us know in the comments below!
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