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Gout Gout vs Kennedy: The Sprint War Is On
Apr 12, 2025 | Edition #113
👋 Hey, Speedsters!
Dramatic! That’s the only way to sum up the week the track just had. From the Land Down Under, two rising stars lit the fuse on a fresh rivalry. Meanwhile, one of Jamaica’s Big 3 dropped a bombshell that sent the internet into a frenzy—turns out, she’s got some unfinished business to settle. We've got all the juicy details coming your way.
But first, a little love from a seasoned pro: "Being a veteran Trackster from the 70' and 80's, I applaud the efforts to keep Track and Field viable. Keep up the good work!"
📈 Trending News
Gout Gout Vs Kennedy: A New Rivalry In the Works?
We’ve got a full-blown rivalry exploding, and it’s getting real spicy. At the Australian Open and U20 Championships, Gout Gout came in guns blazing, lined up for the U20 100m heats, and blasted a 9.99! Yep, sub-10 at just 17!. But the dreaded +3.5 m/s tailwind made it illegal. Oof!
And in the finals—another 9.99 and another illegal wind. +2.6! That’s two sub-10s both down the drain! But the teen still walked away with the U20 national title and the bragging rights of being one of the youngest ever to break 10 and 20 seconds. Watch his run here, it's worth it! But here’s where it really stings.
Lachlan Kennedy—the same guy who beat Gout Gout at the Maurie Plant Meet not long ago dropped a clean 10.00s in the open men’s 100m, backed by a legal +0.9 m/s wind. That time not only stands—it met the World Championships standard, cementing Kennedy as Australia’s second-fastest man ever! Need perspective? Watch this insane sprint. Now, let’s put the two and twos together.
Gout and Kennedy are set to face off in the 200m this Sunday. Kennedy’s got the edge so far—2-0 in the 100m and 2-1 in the 200. But Gout’s not backing down. He’s got fire, he’s got flair, and after this week—he’s got something to prove!
While the world focuses on America’s next-gen stars like Quincy Wilson and Chris Bailey, Australia’s cooking up a rivalry that could explode into something legendary. But only if the wind finally decides to stay in its lane. So who’s it going to be—Gout Gout or Kennedy?
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🌟 Track Stories
The Jamaican Sprint Queen is BACK!
FINALLY! After nearly 8 months of silence, on April 11, the Mommy Rocket dropped a cold, calculated Instagram video that said just one thing: “Time will honor your greatness. 2025🚀” No long captions. No dramatic speeches. Just straight-up business! Translation? SHE. IS. COMMING. BACK!
Yes, 2024 was supposed to be her “last hurrah.“ But let’s call it what it is: Paris was not how a legend walks away! A 10.92 in the heats, followed by a DNS in the semis? No farewell, no closure—just a ghost exit after a warm-up injury and a gate-side mess-up. Here’s a recap!
But her absence came at a cost. Jamaica’s sprint dynasty took a gut punch. For the first time since 1988, not a single Jamaican woman made it to the Olympic 100m podium. The sting? Shelly-Ann felt it, too. In a rare post, she admitted: “It is difficult for me to find the words to describe the depth of my disappointment.” But now it’s redemption season!
2025 is now officially her “last lap,” confirmed by her camp, and she’s coming for a smoke. She’ll be chasing a sixth World title—possibly at the Tokyo World Championships. But this comeback tour won’t be a victory lap. Standing in her way will be Sha’Carri Richardson. And let’s not sleep on Julien Alfred, currently tied 1-1 with Shelly in head-to-head 100m battles. Though, truth be told, Alfred’s win came via default. So yes, it’s about to get spicy.
📊 POLL OF THE DAY
Do You Think Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce Will Clinch Her 6th World Championship Title This Year? |
Last Poll Result: We asked you, “Can Australia’s New Track Talents Like Gout Gout and Leah O’Brien Take Over the World Stage Again?”—and the results are in! 40% of you voted “Progress Is Happening,” showing cautious optimism, while the rest of you were divided between a hard yes or no! Looks like the world’s watching—but we know this is a long game!
🏅Beyond the Medals
Olympic Champ Letsile Tebogo Wants To Hit Pause?
WOW! Letsile Tebogo did what Tebogo does best! Orange vest. Blue shorts. Same supersonic swagger. The reigning Olympic 200m king just stepped onto the track for his first 200m race of the season today at the Botswana Golden Grand Prix—and clocked 20.23 seconds to take the win. Effortless? Looked like it!
Gaborone has clearly become his sweet spot. It's the same meet where he tore up the track with a 19.87 meet record in 2023, then went on to snag bronze at Worlds in Budapest three months later. So... déjà vu loading in 2025? Possibly. Watch Tebogo’s blazing season opener here! Crazy? Not even close!
Just a day before the race, Tebogo dropped a truth bomb. “I wanted to retire this season and come back next year, but I couldn’t.” Say what now? Retire? At 21? Right after making history as Botswana’s first-ever Olympic gold medalist?
Turns out, the guy’s been feeling the weight. “I want to take a break, maybe next year, so that I can enjoy my teenage years,” he admitted. Fair. But fans have been raising eyebrows. After all, the last few weeks weren’t exactly peak Tebogo. Just four 400m races, a chilled 48.94s opener in flats, a second place at ASA Grand Prix, and a tight loss to training partner Bayapo Ndori at the Maurie Plant Meet (by 0.12s!). Here is a refresher!
Even at the pre-race presser, his vibe was muted: “We are not cooking anything special for tomorrow. It’s all about starting our 200m season.” Fast-forward 24 hours—he cooked. Beat the field by 0.19s. He may not have wanted to start 2025, but oh boy, he’s up and running!
That’s it for today, folks! We’ll look to knock on your inbox soon with more interesting stories!
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