Australian runner of South Sudanese origin, Gut Gut, 18, broke a 20-year-old record held by Usain Bolt in the 100-meter race.
Goat Goat covered the distance of 200 meters in 19.67 seconds at the Australian Athletics Championships, setting a new Australian national record in the 200-meter race, as well as a world record for the under-20 category.
Gut breaks Bolt's record
Gutt set a new Australian national record in the 200m race with a time of 19.67 seconds at the national championships, surpassing Usain Bolt's time at the same age.
The 18-year-old runner's time is the fastest in the world this year, and marks the first time he has legally broken the 20-second barrier, after his time of 19.84 seconds with wind assistance at the same event in 2025.
His time would have placed him third at the 2024 Paris Olympics – where Noah Lyles won the bronze medal with a time of 19.70 seconds – and would have been faster than the legendary sprinter Usain Bolt’s best time of 19.93 seconds as a junior athlete in 2004.
Sunday's race at the Sydney Olympic Athletics Centre marked the first time an Australian athlete had run under 20 seconds, with 22-year-old Aidan Murphy from South Australia clocking 19.88 seconds. Seven of the eight finalists recorded personal best times.
The Australian national record for the 200 meters, 20.06 seconds, was set by Peter Norman at the 1968 Mexico City Olympics, before Gutt ran 20.04 and then 20.02 last year.
Who is the runner Goat?
Gut was born in Queensland, Australia, after his parents emigrated from South Sudan. He is the second fastest runner in the 200m under 20s in all conditions.
“This is what I’ve been waiting for,” Gut said after the championship. “We have some great athletes in Australia, and being able to race against them pushes us all to our limits. Two Australians breaking the 20-second barrier – that’s incredible. It’s a huge weight off my shoulders to know that I achieved this time legally, and that I have the speed and physique to achieve such numbers. So, I feel fantastic, and I’m ready for more.”.
