From record-breaking runs to world titles and Paralympic podiums, the trio of finalists announced for the 2024 Emerging Athlete of the Year prove that the future of Australian sport is in outstanding hands.
Selected from a competitive field of 11 individual athletes and spanning nine sports, Gout Gout (Athletics), Callum Simpson (Swimming) and Nicole Duncan (Cycling) have been named as the 2024 finalists for this prestigious honour.
Aged just 16-years-old when nominated, Gout Gout has taken the athletics world by storm.
The Ipswich Grammar student rewrote the record books at the 2024 Chemist Warehouse Australian All-Schools Athletics Championships, breaking Peter Norman’s 56-year-old Australian 200m record with a blistering 20.04 seconds.
He also clocked 10.04 seconds in the 100m heats, making him the fourth-fastest Australian in history over the distance and drawing early comparisons to sprint legend Usain Bolt.
On the international stage, Gout delivered again, winning silver in the men’s 200m at the World Athletics U20 Championships in 20.60 seconds.
With Brisbane 2032 on the horizon, he is already considered one of Australia’s most exciting sprint prospects.
Queensland swimmer Callum Simpson OAM signalled his arrival on the world stage with a breakout performance at the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games, where he captured two gold medals and one silver.
Simpson triumphed in the men’s 100m freestyle S8, contributed to gold in the mixed 4 x 100m medley relay 34pts and added a silver in the mixed 4 x 100m freestyle relay 34pts.
His stellar season was recognised beyond the pool, with Simpson receiving the Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) in January 2025 for service to sport. He was also honoured with the AIS Discovery of the Year Award and named Flipper’s Paralympic Program Athlete of the Year at the Swimming Australia Awards.
“I’m honoured to be named one of the three nominees for Emerging Athlete of the Year and to be recognised alongside such talented athletes is a real privilege,” Simpson said.
“This nomination is incredibly special, and it reflects not just the results I achieved in the Paralympics in Paris, but the hard work and the people behind the scenes, who’ve helped along my whole journey.
I’ve grown so much as both an athlete and a person and being recognised like this is something I’m extremely proud of and grateful for.”
In the velodrome, Nicole Duncan continued to rise through the ranks of Australian cycling, successfully defending her world title in the women’s scratch race at the 2024 UCI Junior Track Cycling World Championships in Luoyang, China.
She also claimed a silver medal in the women’s omnium, reinforcing her credentials as one of the most consistent and versatile junior riders in the world.
At home, Duncan delivered on the elite stage with a win in the Elite Women’s Points Race at the AMV Track Series Round 4 in Brisbane and posted strong performances at the 2024 National Omnium Championships.
Her breakout year earned her a string of accolades, including being named AusCycling’s Junior Track Cyclist of the Year.
The Emerging Athlete of the Year Award celebrates the next generation of Australian sports stars who have the potential to make a significant impact at major international competitions.
Each month throughout 2024, CGA recognised an Emerging Athlete of the Month, with each recipient receiving a $500 contribution towards their training and competition expenses. From these monthly winners, three finalists have been selected to share a $7,000 cash prize, with the overall winner receiving $5,000 and the two runners-up $1,000 each.
The winner of Emerging Athlete of the Year will be announced at the annual Commonwealth Games Australia President’s Dinner on Thursday 29 May, with the winner receiving a $5000 CGA Scholarship towards their sporting endeavours. The other finalists will each receive a CGA Scholarship of $1000.
