BBC Faces Backlash Over Deleted Social Media Post on Teen Sprint Sensation
The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) has sparked controversy after swiftly deleting a social media post that featured Australian teenage sprint prodigy Gout Gout. The move has drawn sharp criticism from users and coincided with polarising remarks from US track star Erin Brown, who declared the Brisbane teenager would become a 'laughing stock' in his upcoming overseas races.
Record-Breaking Performance and Swift Deletion
Gout Gout, aged 18, delivered a scintillating performance at the Australian Athletics Championships in Sydney on April 12, clocking an impressive 19.67 seconds to claim the national 200m title. Shortly after the race, the BBC posted a celebratory photo of the young athlete on its BBC Sport social media channels, praising him as 'absolutely rapid' and drawing comparisons to legendary Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt, who ran 19.93 seconds at the same age.
However, the post was abruptly removed without explanation, raising eyebrows among followers. Some social media users speculated that the deletion was due to the accompanying photo being unflattering. One commenter noted, 'Media houses usually do not publish unflattering pictures of people no matter their race. The BBC broke this rule, realised its mistake and deleted the photo.' Another questioned, 'The BBC deleted this tweet? Why would they do such a thing?'
US Star's Allegations of Wind Assistance
Amid the BBC's post deletion, US track athlete Erin Brown launched a series of criticisms targeting Gout Gout's record-breaking run. Brown claimed the 200m victory was 'fake' in his view, alleging it was recorded with an illegal tailwind. In an Instagram Story, Brown shared a clip showing wind blowing at Sydney Olympic Park, captioned: '+1.7 wind... mind you trees and shii falling over.'
Expanding on his claims in another social media video, Brown stated, 'I thought we really witnessed something special... a million people text me, man, Gout Gout just ran 19.6. That made me inclined to go check the results. Not gonna lie, and if you say this s**t is hating, your ass is coping, because you wanna be different. This s**t is clearly fake. Obviously, overtly, this is as fake as it comes.'
Brown, who has previously criticised Gout for competing against 'white nobodies and bums', argued that the teenager is being 'set up for failure' and will be ridiculed when he competes at a Diamond League meeting in June abroad. According to World Athletics rules, for a run to be legal, the tailwind must not exceed two metres per second.
Context and Athletic Records
Gout Gout's time of 19.67 seconds not only secured the national title but also set an under-20 world record, surpassing Usain Bolt's best mark at age 18. Despite Brown's allegations, the performance has been officially ratified by athletics authorities.
In contrast, Erin Brown's World Athletics profile shows a personal best of 20.55 seconds in the 200m, set in May 2024. He is currently ranked 3612 in the world, with his best effort this year being a 20.84 seconds run at the Don Kirby Elite Invitational in New Mexico in February. The disparity in their performances and rankings has fuelled further debate around Brown's criticisms and the BBC's handling of the social media post.
