Gout Gout tastes first professional 200m defeat in Melbourne

Lachlan Kennedy edging out Gout Gout in the 200m event in Melbourne // @AustraliaAthletics

Gout Gout tastes first professional 200m defeat in Melbourne

Funmilayo Fameso 18:08 - 29.03.2025

Lachlan Kennedy stormed to a PB of 20.26s in the 200m at the Maurie Plant Meet, edging out pre-race favourite and world leader Gout Gout.

Australian teen sensation Gout Gout tasted his first defeat this season in his maiden professional race at the Maurie Plant Meet in Melbourne - the first World Athletics Continental Tour Gold meeting of 2025 on Saturday (29).

Competing in the Peter Norman Memorial 200m race on the cold night, the rising star was slower out of the blocks than Kennedy. Although he tried to sprint back into the lead in the last phase of the race, the youngster fell short in 20.30s as the in-form Kennedy powered to the finish line in a personal best time of 20.26s.

With his victory, Lachlan proved his 60m silver medal-winning performance at the world indoor championships in Nanjing was no fluke and he's in to rub shoulders with the big guns this season.

Lachlan Kennedy after winning the 200m race over Gout Gout

Meanwhile, Gout will aim to shrug off the loss and learn from it with both still having a rematch at the Australian Championships in two weeks.

The teenager with the season's current world-leading time of 20.05s will be gunning to improve on this mark by breaking his Australian record of 20.04s ran last December at just 16 years old.

Also, the exciting talent will have his goal set on hopefully going under the sub-20s mark legally after a wind-aided 19.98s clocked two weeks ago in Brisbane.

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