Article #3441

Sprint sensation captures the imagination of fans around the globe but even amid Australia’s athletics revival, large crowds have not always followed

The video – shared millions of times across social media – is irresistible, showing Gout Gout recording the fastest 200m time by a teenager, ever, on Sunday at the national athletics championships in Sydney. Witness the moment in person, and it was one of Australian sport’s unforgettable days.

Yet look at the background behind the teenager, and you see an almost empty grass hill. As Gout turns and celebrates, saluting the crowd, he does so to a half-empty grandstand.