Gout-fuelled Success Rolls on in Brisbane | Day Two Chemist Warehouse Australian All Schools Athletics Championships

Day Two of the Chemist Warehouse Australian All Schools Athletics Championships belonged to the nation’s rising sprinters once more, as Ipswich teen Gout Gout took down Australian icon Peter Norman’s 200m record, while Amaya Mearns prevailed as the fastest school girl over 200m.

A global sensation, Gout (QLD) clocked a 20.04 seconds (+1.5m/s) to eclipse Peter Norman’s time of 20.06 set at the 1968 Mexico City Olympics - the oldest Australian record on the books in its 56th year.

Coached by Diane Sheppard, Gout now holds the second fastest time in global history for athletes under the age of 18, overtaking Usain Bolt’s 20.13 and finishing behind Erriyon Knighton’s (USA) time of 19.84 from 2021, and also holds the sixth fastest time for an Under 20 athlete across the world.

"These are adult times and me, just a kid – I’m running them. It’s going to be a great future for sure,” Gout said.

“I have always done what I said I will do. If I said something, it’s on my mind and I am pursuing it until I do it.”

Queensland’s domination of the sprints continued in the Under 17 Girls’ 200m, as Amaya Mearns (QLD) tore her way to victory in 23.15 (+0.9) to become the second fastest Australian Under 18 athlete in history, above Paris Olympian Torrie Lewis and behind another national icon in Raelene Boyle. The result was also a Championships record.

Although a favourite for the race, Mearns had her work cut out for her throughout the sprint as she took down 100m champion and teammate Thewbelle Philp in the final moments of the race, as Philp crossed the line in second place in 23.40.

Australia’s youngest ever medallist at the World Under 20 Championships with bronze in Lima, Mason McGroder (NSW) edged ever closer to the eight-metre barrier with a 7.86m (+2.4) leap to be crowned champion in the Under 17 Boys’ event - adding 36cm to the meet record.

The 16-year-old remains in hot pursuit of Darcy Roper’s 8.01m Under 18 Australian record:

“It’s something to work on for the rest of this season. That 8.01 would be good to get but I’ve got until this time next year. Hopefully I can get another day like this, I will compete in Canberra next,” McGroder said.

Izobelle Louison-Roe (NSW) clinched her second gold medal in as many days with victory in the Under 18 Girls’ Long Jump with a leap of 5.95m (+0.6) to prevail by six-centimetres over Victoria’s Geena Davy. With Long Jump and Triple Jump victories locked away, Day Three will see the World Under 20 medallist take on the High Jump and 100m Hurdles.

Stamping his ground as the next great hurdling star just one day after nabbing silver in the 200m Hurdles, South Australian Ken Ferrante Tanikawa knocked off a national age record of Olympian Sasha Zhoya, clocking 12.59 (+2.0) to eclipse Zhoya’s U16 100m Hurdles record of 12.66.

Victorian twins Khushnoor and Suhknhoor Rangi delivered a 1-2 finish in the Under 18 Girls’ Pole Vault as Khushnoor soared to an equal Championship record of 4.05m to beat her sister’s 3.95m, while Felix Hatwich (VIC) impressed with a 4.50m clearance to take the Under 18 Boys’ crown.

Telaya Blacksmith (NSW) made it two wins from two on her second day of competition, with the T20 Paralympian tearing around the bend in the U20 Para 200m in 25.67 to lock in a season’s best and score 97.42 on the BASELINE system. 

Victorian young gun Jonathan Neethling wasted no time in the first track event of the day, blitzing the field in the Under 17 Boys’ 2000m Steeplechase to set a new Championship record of 5:52.20 and win by a dominant 19-second margin.

Meanwhile in the field, Arielle Cannell (TAS) hoisted the hammer to a new Championship record of 58.59m with her opening throw in the Under 17 Girls’ Hammer Throw, while Ethan Gration (QLD) soared over two metres in the Under 16 Boys’ High Jump and Tallara Joseph-Riogi (NSW) threw 49.80m to claim the Under 16 Girls’ Javelin title. 

Full results can be found HERE.

The final day of the Chemist Warehouse Australian All Schools Athletics Championships begins tomorrow at 8:45am local time (AEST).

The meet is also supported by the Queensland Government through Tourism and Events Queensland and the Brisbane Economic Development Agency.

By Sascha Ryner and Lachlan Moorhouse, Athletics Australia
Posted 7/12/2024