Gout Gout was one of many favourites to win the 2025 Stawell Present in Australia, however was eradicated in his semi-final race after an enormous handicap proved an excessive amount of to beat
Gout Gout controversially missed out on a £20,000 money prize on the 2025 Stawell Present in Australia, with occasion organisers now threatening to overview their handicap guidelines after he suffered a significant upset.
Regardless of being one of many favourites alongside Lachlan Kennedy, 17-year-old sprinting sensation Gout didn’t qualify for the ultimate after ending second in his semi-final race to John Evans.
Evans progressed with a quickest warmth time of 12.13 whereas Gout, who’s the Australian and Oceania 200m document holder, unexpectedly crashed out.
Evans went on to develop into the Stawell Present males’s champion by operating an unimaginable 11.94 within the remaining.
The swathes of followers who had turned up hoping to see Gout face his rival Kennedy within the remaining had been left bitterly disenchanted, with neither of Australia’s quickest sprinters capable of overcome their handicaps. Gout particularly couldn’t overturn a 8.75m deficit towards Evans.
Race winner Evans, a college instructor from South Australia, acquired a handicap of 9.75m, which means he needed to run 110.25m at Stawell, in comparison with the complete distance of 120m.
As compared, Lachlan Kennedy was racing off 0.25m, and Gout Gout was off 1 metre. They needed to race 119.75m and 119m respectively.
The Victorian Athletics League (VAL) handicappers have since come beneath fireplace as neither Gout and Kennedy appeared prone to shut the hole on their rivals resulting from their appreciable disadvantages, with many followers upset neither made the ultimate.
VAL president Matt McDonough admitted Kennedy’s efficiency may need deserved a spot within the remaining however instructed Gout didn’t run at his greatest, together with his makes an attempt to bridge the hole as a substitute thwarted by moist situations.
Nonetheless, McDonough did point out that VAL may overview the benchmark time set for handicapping within the Stawell Present sooner or later.
Kennedy commented: “I feel that perhaps… is our goal time, proper? That [time of 12.25] to get Kennedy in that remaining, and perhaps (he) ought to have been in that remaining.”
“I feel that is some kind of adjustment we’ll simply want to take a look at sooner or later to see whether or not we have got our instances proper, that the again markers can obtain it.”
Regardless of his disappointment at lacking out on the winners’ money prize, Gout confirmed nice sportsmanship by high-fiving and taking selfies with followers after the race.
Nonetheless, his efforts didn’t go unrewarded as he pocketed an look payment of £23,936 from an area businessman.
