Teenage sprint sensation Gout Gout ran a blistering 19.67 seconds to win the 200m at the Australian championships on Sunday, reinforcing his status as a rapidly rising star.
Fellow Australian Aidan Murphy also cracked the 20-second mark, coming second in 19.88 - the two quickest times of the year and with a legal tailwind.
"This is what I've been waiting for," said Gout at the Sydney Olympic Park Athletic Centre.
"We have such incredible athletes in Australia, and me being able to race these athletes, we push each other to the limits. Two Australians sub-20. I mean, this is amazing."
The 18-year-old burst on the scene in 2024 when he clocked 20.04 seconds at the Australian All Schools Athletics Championships.
It shattered Peter Norman's national record of 20.06 from the 1968 Olympics and was the quickest ever by a 16-year-old, earning him comparisons to Usain Bolt.
He had improved to 20.02 but never gone under 20 seconds legally before.
The race was billed as a showdown with his closest Australian rival, Lachlan Kennedy.
But 22-year-old Kennedy, who is also on a rapid rise, withdrew after executing flawlessly to win the 100m in 9.96 on Saturday - the fastest time run by an Australian on home soil.
He also clocked 9.96 in his heat.
"It's the standard I've set now, so hopefully I can go a bit quicker next time and see where it takes me,"Kennedy said. "I think the sky is the limit."
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