Australian sprint sensation Gout Gout was subjected to a wave of disgraceful racist abuse online following a congratulatory post from Queensland Premier David Crisafulli, after Gout shattered his own national 200m record at the Ostrava Golden Spike meet in the Czech Republic.
Crisafulli had taken to X (formerly Twitter) to hail the young athlete’s remarkable performance.
“A Queenslander showing the world how it’s done. Congratulations on another incredible run, Gout Gout.”
The message, meant to celebrate a proud moment for Australian athletics, was quickly flooded with vile and racially charged comments targeting the Brisbane-born teenager.
Among the replies was one particularly mild example:
“Low bar to qualify as a Queenslander these days.”
According to Daily Mail Australia several sports fans courageously spoke out in defence of the young star.
“Born and bred in Queensland. These comments are a joke. Proud of the lad,” one supporter posted.
“Great achievement! And a great Aussie guy, this is what our country is built on,” wrote another.
“He’s an Australian, ffs. QLDers are insufferable with this sort of s**t,” added a third.
Sadly, this isn’t the first time Gout has faced racial abuse in his short but meteoric career. Last December, athletics commentator Tim Rosen deleted one of his posts showcasing Gout’s talent after it was inundated with similarly appalling comments questioning the sprinter’s Australian identity.
That same month, The Age newspaper issued a public apology after it mistakenly published a front-page image of Gout while reporting on fellow Australian runner Peter Bol, another prominent athlete of African heritage, sparking accusations of racial insensitivity.
Triumph Amid Adversity
Amid the social media storm, Gout remains focused on his craft. In what was his European debut, the young sprinter faced a world-class field in Ostrava, including Cuban star Reynier Mena. Gout surged ahead in the final 20 metres to claim victory in 20.02 seconds, a new Australian record.
“I feel good. New personal best, new national record in my first European race,” he said after the race.
“I don’t feel any pressure, because as soon as I step out on that track, it’s just me by myself and what I’ve got to do — my favourite thing, and that’s to run.”
The teenager, whose rapid rise continues to impress the athletics world, expressed confidence about breaking the elusive 20-second barrier soon.
“Get some more races in me and it [the 20-second barrier] will drop for sure,” he added.
Gout Gout’s story is one of resilience and brilliance in the face of adversity, and the athletics world will be watching closely as he continues to chase history.