Gout Gout to raise profile and follow famous footsteps with Stawell Gift berth
Australia’s teenage sprint sensation Gout Gout will follow in the footsteps of some of the country’s greatest athletes by running in this year’s Stawell Gift, and his team hopes it will continue his ascension in the eyes of the public.
The famous 120-metre handicap event will be held on Easter Monday and will see 17-year-old Gout present as the main event of the 143rd running of the race.
Gout’s manager James Templeton spoke to Weekend Grandstand, explaining the race was both part of the young star’s journey into competitive senior events in 2025 and a chance to raise his profile even higher within Australia.
“Yes, it is happening,” Templeton said.
“The way Gout runs coming through the field and having that flying last 50, it was suggested to me [he could run] by a couple of local Stawell people I know. We had a chat about it and I thought, ‘Wouldn’t it be great?’
“You never know, he could be handicapped out of it. That’s always a possibility. But it’s going to be fun watching him run. He’ll give it a red-hot crack of course.
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“I’ve said all along, wouldn’t it be great if by the time the Olympics come in LA in 2028 that Australia is behind him and the Australian sporting public is saying, ‘When is our guy running?’ and Australia knows we’ve got a guy who has a genuine shot.
“So certainly I don’t feel like hiding him away from the Australian public. The Stawell Gift is wonderful and it’ll be great because he will become more well known in Australia.”
Gout is primed for a busy year, which will culminate in the world championships in Tokyo in September.
He rose to international prominence in 2024 thanks to a wind-assisted 10.04 hundred at the Australian All-Schools Championships in Brisbane in December, where he also broke Peter Norman’s 56-year-old Australian 200m record.
Gout also recently returned from a training camp in the US where he worked alongside American Olympic champion Noah Lyles and his coach Lance Brauman.
Noah Lyles won 100m gold in Paris and recently trained alongside Gout Gout. (AP: Ashley Landis)
Templeton said the camp was a “step up” for Gout, who learned plenty from Lyles and his elite standards.
“Noah is the ultimate professional and he is the best at everything,” he said.
“Every drill and every lift in the gym, he was the best. His technique was the best and he sought perfection in everything he did.
“He was very exacting in his demands on his training partners, so if someone did something in a sloppy way he’d be barking at them from 50m away.
“There was one interesting one where [Gout’s training partner] Jon Kasiano eased off in one 50 just before the line and Noah shouted at him, ‘Jonathan, no easing off. Easing off is for losers. You do it properly.’
“And we all loved that. That’s Noah the ultimate pro, and that’s a great example for Gout — the guy who’s the best is not sitting back and resting on his talent.”
