Gout Gout's new rival smashes 15-year-old record and targets home Olympics

Gout Gout, who has been compared to Usain Bolt, has been the talk of Australian athletics in recent years, but the 17-year-old could soon have some extra competition

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Gout Gout may soon have a rival on his hands after another Australian sprinting prodigy obliterated a 15-year-old record. The 17-year-old, who has been likened to Olympic legend Usain Bolt, recently took part in the senior World Championships in the 200m after breaking multiple national records.

But Gout will have taken notice of 16-year-old Uwezo Lubenda's stunning display in the 100m at the Queensland Representative School Sport event. The Townsville athlete stormed across the finish line in an astonishing time of 10.35, smashing the previous under-16 record at the state championship.

That mark had been held by Hugh Donovan, who clocked 10.73 back in 2010. To put Lubenda's achievement into perspective, his time would have been quick enough to see him progress through the preliminary heats in the 100m at this year's World Championship.

Gout's personal best as a 16-year-old was 10.17, which he recorded in December last year, just before turning 17. He also ran a wind-assisted 10.04.

After collecting his medal from former Olympian Paul Di Bella, Lubenda, whose previous personal best was 10.42, told the Townsville Bulletin: "Man, I feel amazing. I was kind of hoping for a time like that, and I wasn't thinking too much about it, but I'm really grateful."

Lubenda, who was born in January 2009, moved from the Congo to Australia with his family in 2013. His ambitions include representing his country at the 2032 Olympic Games in Queensland's capital, Brisbane, when he will be 23. He revealed last year: "My goal is 2032 Brisbane; I've got my eyes on that."

Fellow Queenslander Gout is also setting his sights on the 2032 Games. Already a household name Down Under, he has inked a lucrative deal with sportswear behemoth Adidas.

Reflecting on the deal earlier this year, he told GQ: "It was crazy. The number kept getting higher and I realised how much these companies think I'm worth.

"But that sponsorship really helps you get to the next level because obviously you need the money to travel and to train.

"Especially since I'm at school, so I don't need to go and find a job at Maccas or whatever to put fuel in my car. It definitely helps a lot."

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Gout, whose family emigrated from Sudan to Australia two decades ago, added: "Long term, I'd like to set myself up and set my family up.

"I've saved a lot and I bought myself a new car when I got my Ps [a provisional driving licence], so that's probably the biggest purchase I've made so far. I haven't gone crazy."