Stawell Gift handicap questioned by fans after Gout’s shock loss

Gout Gout fans have been left disappointed after the sprinting superstar failed to make the finals of one of Australia’s most prestigious running races, with many blaming the handicap system in place.

Gout and champion sprinter Lachlan Kennedy were both knocked out of the semi finals of the Stawell Gift* on Easter Monday, the country’s oldest and richest short-distance race that is known for its handicap system where each runner starts from a different mark.

The dynamic duo both finished second in their races as they were unable to overcome the handicaps given to them.

Gout had been heavily favoured to take out the great race, however, he couldn’t overturn a 8.75m deficit* to beat Adelaide schoolteacher John Evans, who clocked the fastest heat time of 12.13 and backed it up with a 12.10 in the final.

Gout’s chances of bridging the gap were also sabotaged* by wild wet weather, which not only made the track incredibly damp but made reaching top speed on the grass course almost impossible.

With only the winners of the six semi-finals advancing to the final, fans had to deal with the reality that neither star sprinter would be competing for the $40,000 grand prize.

But all was not lost for Gout, who had reportedly been paid a $50,000 appearance fee* by local farmer turned businessman Sandy McGregor to compete in the event.

WHAT ARE HANDICAPS?
Handicaps are advantages used across different sports, including cycling, sports car racing, horse racing and golf, to level the playing field among competitors. Sometimes this involves teams starting a competition with a points advantage against other teams.

At the Stawell Gift, each runner is assigned a different starting position based on their abilities. This is calculated by the Victorian Athletic League and is based on the runners’ previous times and performances in other sprinting events.

FANS FURIOUS OVER HANDICAPS
Fans were furious that Gout and Kennedy were given little chance of winning the great race due to the tough handicaps of 1m for Gout and 0.25m for Kennedy.

“Very bad Gout Gout and Kennedy didn’t make the final, something is wrong with the system,” one fan wrote on X.

“He’s not Superman just yet. (Gout) needed to be given some sort of realistic chance,” another chipped in.

“He clearly wasn’t the fastest in the race as he had only won due to a head start. A race without Gout Gout and Kennedy who are clearly the quickest in the country just feels wrong,” a third said.

Even Bulldogs great Phil Gould posted a sarcastic remark on X: “Outstanding work to handicap your biggest drawcard out of the final … So smart”.

In the end, the Gout ran into a sprinter who had every star lined up to become the Stawell Gift champion, in the semi.

Evans, 28, was competing in his sixth Stawell Gift and everything came together for him, winning with a time of 11.94sec.

Evans had been given a big front mark of 9.75m for Stawell and he ran an incredible 11.94 to finish ahead of Jasper Thomas (6.50m) and Mitch O’Neill (4.75m).

THE PROBLEM WITH THE HANDICAP SYSTEM
Despite competing against the two fastest men in the country, Evans never looked in any danger of losing any of his races, leading many to believe there was a major flaw in the handicap system.

Ideally in handicapped races, all runners should cross the finish line at the same time.

Since its first running in 1878, the Gift has been all about runners setting themselves up for a nice handicap.

There have even been stories of runners deliberately underperforming in lead-up events to get favourable handicaps.

And while there is no suggestion any runner in this year’s Gift did that, it has remained a major worry with the handicap system.

Even eventual Gift winner Evans said he felt he hit the jackpot with a 9.75m handicap.

“I knew it was a good handicap. I knew I could work something off that, and I just really had to train hard, push hard, see what I could do from it,” Evans said after the race.

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GLOSSARY

• Stawell Gift: the oldest and richest short distance running race in Australia, the Stawell Gift is an annual footrace held on the Easter long weekend in Stawell, Victoria. First held in 1878 at the end of the gold rush, the race has been run every year except for four years during WWII and during Covid. The final is run on a grass track of 120m long up a slight gradient.
• deficit: lacking, falling behind
• sabotaged: destroyed or damaged
• appearance fee: a payment made to a celebrity or other public figure for them to appear in an event
• hit the jackpot: was lucky

EXTRA READING
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Gout Gout gears up for great Gift
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QUICK QUIZ
1. What is the name of the prestigious race that Lachlan Kennedy and Gout Gout failed to reach the finals in?
2. What is the grand prize in this race?
3. What was the first year this race was held?
4. How much was Gout paid just to compete in the race?
5. What handicap did Gift winner John Evans compete with?

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CLASSROOM ACTIVITIES
1. What do you think?
Is the Stawell Gift a fair race? Write a list of very convincing reasons for or against.

Time: allow at least 20 minutes to complete this activity
Curriculum Links: English, Health and Physical Education

2. Extension
Why do you think that some sports, like horse racing, have handicaps and others don’t? Write paragraphs explaining your answer to this question. Use information from the story and maybe your research skills to help you.

Time: allow at least 25 minutes to complete this activity
Curriculum Links: English, Health and Physical Education

VCOP ACTIVITY
BAB it!
Show you have read and understood the article by writing three sentences using the connectives “because’’, “and”, and “but” (BAB). Your sentences can share different facts or opinions, or the same ones but written about in different ways.