Teen Is Making a Run for Records

Sprinter Gout Gout has sped past a milestone set by the fastest man on Earth.

Gout Gout (left) competes in a men’s 200-meter race at the 2026 Australian Athletics Championships in Sydney, Australia.

Rising sprint star Gout Gout may be on the fast track to making history. The Australian teen’s professional running career is only just getting started, but he has been turning heads for years with his bursts of acceleration on the track. Now 18 years old, Gout recently won the 200-meter title at the 2026 Australian Athletics Championships in April, running the race in 19.67 seconds.

Gout’s time is remarkable simply for being under 20 seconds, a huge accomplishment in sprinting. He is now the first Australian to break the 20-second barrier in the 200-meter race. But what has caught everyone’s eye is the significance of Gout being this speedy at 18 years old. That’s because Gout ran faster than Usain Bolt—called the fastest man on Earth—did at about the same age.

Usain Bolt wins the men’s 200-meter final race at the 2009 IAAF Athletics World Championships in Berlin, Germany.

In 2004, the then-17-year-old Bolt ran his best 200-meter race in 19.93 seconds. Just five years later, the Jamaican superstar went on to set the current 100-meter (9.58 seconds) and 200-meter (19.19 seconds) records at the 2009 World Championships in Berlin.

No other runner has beaten these times, though a few have come close. Now it seems Gout may also be in the running for taking Bolt’s records. According to Olympics.com, Gout “has gone nearly three-tenths faster over a half-lap of the athletics track than the Jamaican great ever did at age 18 or younger.”

Speaking to CNN Sports, Bolt had both praise and advice for Gout. “He’s a young talent. A massive young talent,” he said. “The pressure that comes with it is not going to be easy, because every time you step on that track, everybody’s always looking for a fast time, always looking for you to do great…Not every time you run, you’re going to win. It’s all about just learning right now at a young age, learning and figuring out, ‘How can I get better? How can I move forward?’”

The excitement has running fans eager to watch Gout’s upcoming international races. The teen is making his debut in the Diamond League, a series of elite track and field competitions, in Oslo, Norway, on June 10, 2026. Making it to the 2028 Olympics would give Gout the chance to race for a gold medal.

NEWS BREAK

Dara Wins Eurovision!

Dara holds up her trophy after winning the 70th Eurovision Song Contest.

The votes are in! For the first time ever, Bulgaria has won the 2026 Eurovision Song Contest. Dara, the singer who represented Bulgaria, captured the first-place trophy with her song “Bangaranga.”

Since 1956, countries from Europe and other parts of the world have sent their best singers to Eurovision. For three nights each year, the singers perform live for TV and Internet audiences around the globe. Winners are decided by a group of expert judges as well as home viewers, who call in or text to cast their votes. Although Eurovision is a competition, it’s meant to be an opportunity for nations to come together.

The final round of this year’s Eurovision took place on May 16 in Vienna, Austria. Dara’s “Bangaranga,” won viewers’ hearts with its catchy hook and thumping beat.

“Having this love from all of the jury and all of the audience tonight, it feels like a dream,” Dara said.

Did You Know?

American sprinter Florence Griffith Joyner (called FloJo) set two world records in 1988 when she ran the 100 meters in 10.49 seconds and the 200 meters in 21.34 seconds. Nearly 40 years later, she’s still considered the fastest woman ever.

Florence Griffith Joyner competes at the 1988 U.S. Track and Field Olympic Trials.

The Man Behind America’s Favorite Cherry

Bing cherries are popular in the United States, thanks to Ah Bing.

For many people, cherries are a summer staple. In the United States, the most popular is a dark red variety known as the Bing cherry. But the Bing cherry fruit wouldn’t exist if it weren’t for a man named Ah Bing.

Not many details are known about Bing’s life. He was a worker who came to the United States from northeastern China around 1855. He was very tall, towering over 6 feet in height, and liked to sing as he worked. A man named Seth Lewelling hired Bing as a horticulturalist, or someone who cultivates plants for food. Lewelling, an orchard owner, had Bing cultivate new cherry trees and supervise some 30 other Chinese workers.

Over the years, Bing crossbred trees so that they produced larger and sweeter cherries. Lewelling named this delicious new fruit the Bing cherry for its creator. It became a horticultural marvel.

Chinese immigrants have made major contributions to the United States. The men in this photo were among thousands who helped build railroad tracks across the country in the 1800s.

But this sweet story takes a sad turn. Bing’s success at the Lewelling orchard lasted 30 years before the rise of anti-Chinese sentiment made working in the U.S. difficult. The political tensions against Chinese workers sometimes broke into violence, and Lewelling had to shelter his staff in his own home.

It is uncertain what exactly prompted his leaving, but Bing returned to China in 1889 to see his family and possibly escape some of the violence. The Chinese Exclusion Act made it impossible for Bing to return to Lewelling’s orchard. Passed in 1882, the Chinese Exclusion Act was the first law preventing people of a certain ethnic group from immigrating to the United States. It also prevented Chinese people already in the country from seeking citizenship.

Though Ah Bing has faded into history, his namesake cherry has solidified his legacy. The Bing cherry is now one of the most popular cherries in production for its sweet, juicy flavor.

See You on the Track!

© James Nielsen/Houston Chronicle—Hearst Newspapers/Getty Images, © Ben Hasty/MediaNews Group—Reading Eagle/Getty Images, © Bill O’Leary—The Washington Post/Getty Images; Photo composite Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

Track and field skills include (from left) hurdles, the triple jump, and the shot put.

What do the triple jump, the shot put, and hurdles have in common? If you guessed that they are all track and field events, you’re right! Track and field is a sports event that goes beyond running and jumping.

Learn all about it at Britannica.

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