Can you see the shocking mistake that forced The Age newspaper to make a grovelling apology after it was hit with accusations of racism?
- The Age newspaper got into trouble
- The publication has apologized for an embarrassing blunder
Teenage sprint sensation Gout Gout has quickly become one of the most recognizable faces in Australian athletics, but that hasn’t stopped a leading newspaper from making a glaring mistake.
The Age newspaper has issued an apology for mistaking Gout for fellow Australian athlete Peter Bol on Sunday.
The publication ran a feature story on Gout’s new deal with Adidas, but used a shot of Bol instead of the young gun at the top right of the edition’s front page.
Sports fans quickly noticed the blunder and took to social media to report it.
Channel Seven’s Jason Richardson posted an image of the front page on X alongside the comment: ‘Ummm, that’s Pete Bol.’
Another user replied: ‘How embarrassing.’
The Age newspaper has apologized for mistaking Gout Gout for fellow Australian athlete Peter Bol (above right) this weekend
Gout Gout dominated at the recent Australian All Schools Athletics Championship in Brisbane, marking itself as the country’s hottest prospect in years
Journalist Caleb Bond wrote: ‘Wow. Outrageous racism from The Age.’
In a statement on the matter, Nine apologized for the error.
“We sincerely apologize to Peter Bol and Gout Gout for the error made in cropping a photo showing both athletes,” the statement said.
‘A correction and apology will appear in tomorrow’s newspaper [Tuesday’s] newspaper, and the incorrect photo will be removed from the digital edition of the Sunday Age.’
The 16-year-old broke Peter Norman’s 56-year-old Australian All Schools Athletics Championships record last weekend in the 200m final, recording a blistering time of 20.04.
He also clocked a wind-assisted time of 10.04 seconds in his 100m heat, which was the fifth fastest time by an Australian in history in all conditions.
Gout has since become the name on everyone’s lips, with former track star and TV identity Matt Shirvington suggesting the prodigy has more potential than Olympic legend Usain Bolt.
Usain Bolt himself responded to the hype surrounding Gout Gout, replying to a post on Jumper’s World with the simple comment: “He looks like a young me.”
Olympian Peter Bol (pictured) has made a comeback to the sport after being cleared of charges that he failed a doping test
Marketing experts believe Gout’s potential could make him one of Australia’s most marketable athletes, especially with the Brisbane Olympics on the horizon.
Adidas’ deal worth $6 million includes a base salary and incentives for breaking records and achieving podium finishes.
“The real value comes when corporate brands outside of athletics get involved. That’s where the big money is,” said sports business expert Paul Smith.
The signing comes at a time when athletics is looking for stars to captivate global audiences.
“Gout has already brought enormous publicity to the sport,” Templeton said.
Videos of his performances have gone viral and one has been viewed more than two million times.
Former Australian Olympian Patrick Johnson believes Gout has the potential to break his national 100m record of 9.93 seconds.
‘He has incredible potential. The key is to let him enjoy being a kid while being in the spotlight,” Johnson said.
Gout plans to compete in both junior and senior events in 2025, balancing his athletic career with completing Year 12.