How to Watch Gout Gout Compete at the World Athletics Championships

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The 2025 World Athletics Championships are in full swing in Tokyo, Japan, with a full slate of Australians to watch: from distance runner Jess Hull to discus star Matt Denny.

One Australian who’ll have plenty of eyes on them at this year’s championships is wunderkind Gout Gout, the 17-year-old Queensland sprinting sensation.

He’ll be making his senior international debut in Tokyo this week — the youngest ever athlete to compete in his event at the World Championships.

Here’s everything you need to know.

When is Gout Gout competing and in what event?

Gout Gout will be running in just one event at the World Championships: the men’s 200 metres. He did not enter to qualify for the 100m, and is not a part of the Australian 4x100m relay team.

The 200m heats will take place at 9.15pm AEST on Wednesday. The semi-final will be at 10.02pm AEST on Thursday.

And should Gout Gout make it all the way to the final, you’re in for a late night: that will take place at 11.06pm AEST on Friday.

How can I watch Gout Gout run?

Like every session from the World Athletics Championships this year, you’ll be able to catch Gout Gout’s event via SBS Viceland, where it will be broadcast live and free.

Who is Gout Gout up against?

Gout Gout will have some strong competition this week.

The favourite is Noah Lyles from the United States, and for good reason: he’s won all three of the last world championship titles in the event.

Lyles is one of 13 entrants in the men’s 200m who have achieved a time of under 20 seconds sometime this year.

Gout Gout, wearing a red jersey, smiling and pumping his arm while holding flowers in the other.

Gout Gout won the men’s 200m at the Ostrava Golden Spike athletics meet in the Czech Republic earlier this year, becoming the new Oceanian record holder with a time of 20.02 seconds. Source: AAP / AP / Petr David Josek

US athletes Kenneth Bednarek and T’Mars McCallum, Jamaica’s Bryan Levell and Botswana’s Letsile Tebogo will also be ones to watch.

What would Gout Gout making the final mean?

Gout Gout qualifying for the 200m final would be an immense achievement: only three Australian men have achieved such a feat, and none have done so since 2005.

As the youngest athlete to ever compete in the 200m at the championships, he’d also be the youngest finalist in the event’s history. That distinction is currently held by Japan’s Abdul Hakim Sani Brown, who claimed it in 2017 at the age of 18 years and 157 days.

What has Gout Gout said?

During a pre-race media event on Monday, Gout Gout shared how he was feeling ahead of the heats.

He said a new personal best, regardless of where he ended up in the rankings, would he a huge success in his eyes.

“It’s about mentally telling myself that I deserve to be here, that I’m the same as everyone else,” he said.

“Obviously, my first experience at this level so I’m trying not to put too much pressure on myself.

“But also putting on enough pressure so I can go out there and run very fast and have fun with it.”

Every session from the nine-day event will be broadcast live and free across SBS VICELAND, including the World Athletics Championships 2025 Hub via SBS On Demand, which will also feature full replays, mini recaps and Aussie Focus clips for every session.

Morning sessions will run from 8am to 1.30pm AEST on September 13–15 and 20–21, while evening sessions will be from 8pm to 11.30pm AEST each night of the championships.

— With additional reporting by the Australian Associated Press.