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Teen sprinter breaks records, draws Bolt's praise
Australian athlete Gout Gout, 18, continues to turn heads in track and field, recently shattering records and earning advice from sprint legend Usain Bolt.
Record-breaking performances
Gout retained his 200m title at the Australian Athletics Championships on April 12, clocking an impressive 19.67 seconds. This time not only surpassed USA sprinter Erriyon Knighton's world under-20 record of 19.69 seconds but also bested Bolt's fastest time as a teenager, 19.93 seconds in 2004.
Additionally, Gout secured the under-20 100m national title. Last season, he ran a wind-assisted 19.84 seconds in the 200m, dipping under the 20-second mark. In 2024, at just 16 years old, he set the quickest time by a teenager in the 200m with a 20.04-second run.
Bolt's advice to young star
Usain Bolt, an eight-time Olympic champion, has taken notice of Gout's talent, previously stating the young athlete "looks like young me." Offering guidance, Bolt emphasized the importance of staying focused amidst growing distractions.
"At that young age, because I was there, you start getting put left and right and then you forget track and field. Hopefully he has the right set of people to guide him and keep him focused on track and field because the rest of the stuff will always be there. But if you mess up on track and field, then it all goes away."
Usain Bolt, via CNN
Upcoming competitions
Gout is set to make his Diamond League debut in the 200m event in Oslo on June 10. He has decided to skip the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow to concentrate on the World Under-20 Championships in Oregon, scheduled for August.
Background
Gout Gout won a silver medal in the 200m at the 2024 World Under-20 Championships when he was just 16 years old, further establishing his reputation as a rising star in sprinting.
