Australian sprint sensation Gout Gout has received a monumental boost in his budding career after securing a $150,000 sponsorship from local businessman Sandy McGregor.
The support comes as the teen prepares for his first European races and the 2025 World Championships.
Gout Gout, who has drawn comparisons to legendary sprinter Usain Bolt due to his record-breaking performances, has been making waves in Australian athletics.
According to a report by Wide World of Sports, McGregor initially backed Gout with a $50,000 appearance fee to compete at the prestigious Stawell Gift earlier this month, where the teen unfortunately fell short in the semi-finals.
However, the businessman’s faith in Gout’s potential remains unwavering.
“He’s exciting, he deserves it, and we’re all hoping he gets to Europe and performs the way he’s been performing in Australia,” McGregor told Wide World of Sports.
“I first backed the district, then Gout, and now that he’s succeeded, he deserves more support,” McGregor added.
The sponsorship will support Gout’s training, travel, and competition expenses as he transitions from domestic success to international prominence.
Gout Gout’s upcoming schedule includes a European tour in June, where he will make his continental debut in the 200m at the Ostrava Golden Spike in the Czech Republic. An additional European race is also in the works, though the exact location remains undisclosed.
After European campaign, Gout will head to Japan in September for the 2025 World Championships.
The Queensland-born athlete recently clocked a wind-assisted sub-10-second 100m sprint (9.99 seconds) at the Australian Athletics Championships in Perth.
His prowess extends to the 200m, where he set an Australian junior record of 20.04 seconds in Brisbane in December 2024. Just three months later, he shattered that mark with a wind-assisted 19.98 seconds in the same city.