Why teenage track sprinter Gout Gout knows he is Australian athletics’ next big thing – as comparisons to Olympic legend Usain Bolt continue by the day
- Gout Gout that attracts attention as a track sprinter
- Australian teenager who wants to become an Olympic champion
- He has no doubt that he can break the 10-second barrier in the 100 meters
At just 16 years old, Australian sprinting sensation Gout Gout knows he’s the center of attention most places he goes.
Constant comparisons to Jamaican sports hero Usain Bolt would be intimidating to many teenagers, but not to the confident student at Ipswich Grammar in Brisbane.
Gout likes to take everything in his path – literally – and sees how far the sport can take him.
The son of South Sudanese immigrants Monica and Bona Gout, already sponsored by Adidas, finished second in the 200 meters final at the World Under 20 Championships in Lima in August.
Racing with athletes up to two years older, the flyer tore around the track to record a blistering personal best time of 20.60.
He has also previously recorded a 100m time of 10.20 and is confident he can break the 10-second barrier.
At just 16 years old, Brisbane-based track sprinter Gout Gout is the future of Australian athletics
Gout’s coach Di Sheppard believes the son of two South Sudanese immigrants could become an Olympic champion in the 100 and 200 meters, just like his idol Usain Bolt
Eight-time Olympic gold medalist Usain Bolt is widely considered the greatest sprinter of all time
The last Australian to do this was Patrick Johnson in 2003, who clocked 9.93 during a race in Japan.
Gout has declared that a sub-10 time is ‘definitely going to happen’ – and considering he’s started breaking junior records set by Olympic icon Bolt, that’s hard to argue with.
His coach Di Sheppard – who discovered him when Gout was in group 7 – is just as confident.
“We talk about it because it’s a given for us (that he breaks ten seconds),” she said News Corp.
“If it happens, it happens, and it can happen early … because everything happens faster than we expected.”
When the 2032 Olympic Games take place in Brisbane, Gout will be 24 years old. Sheppard believes he can run the 100/200m double on the biggest stage in the world.
When it comes to Bolt, Gout is determined to be himself, but given his similar style on the track, he knows comparisons are inevitable.
In January, Gout and Sheppard will travel to the US for a training session with Olympic 100m champion Noah Lyles, who lives in Orlando.
The main goal will be to see Lyles in person and learn to deal with the considerable hype that is sure to follow in the coming years.
Australia had its iconic Cathy Freeman moment at the Sydney Olympics in 2000 – which prize of history will repeat itself with Gout in Brisbane in 2032?