Teen sprint sensation Gout Gout lost in the Peter Norman Memorial 200m at the Maurie Plant Meet in Melbourne.
Gout Gout, now 17, became the fastest 16-year-old ever when he ran the 200 metres in 20.04 seconds in December at the Australian schools championships, beating the national record that had been held since the 1968 Olympics by Peter Norman.
However, in front of a sold out crowd at the Maurie Plant Meet, Gout Gout finished the 200m in second place when 21-year-old Lachlan Kennedy edged him out with a personal-best time of 20.26.
Gout, the youngest in the race by four years, clocked 20.30 for his second place finish.
Gout Gout ran faster than even the great Usain Bolt could at the same age to become the fastest 16-year-old ever, clocking 20.04 seconds in the 200m
“I don’t run many twos [200m] so this is a bit different for me. I’m just happy to be here,” Kennedy told Channel 7.
“Australian sprinting’s on one right now, the depth is crazy. We’ve got good runners everywhere you look. To be ahead of Gout, he’s a legend, he’ll do many great things along the way. It’s an absolute privilege to be part of this group.
“I knew he’d be coming so my goal was to just hold him off. I think five more metres, he definitely would’ve had me,” Kennedy added.
Gout Gout told Channel 7: “Getting these races in definitely is great, these races help build my confidence and help me think about what I need to do.
“[The attention] is definitely great, but it also comes with the pressure and expectations from people all around the world.
“Comparisons to [Usain] Bolt, comparisons to pretty much everyone – it gets daunting but you know me, I just keep it simple and keep it running.”
