‘Next Usain Bolt’ Gout Gout shocked in major upset during first senior competition
Athletic’s new Golden Boy had to settle for silver in a surprise on his senior debut. Gout Gout, the 17-year-old Australian phenomenon, finished runner-up to countryman Lachie Kennedy in the 200 metres at the Maurie Plant meet in Melbourne on Saturday. Gout couldn’t recover the early gap but still recorded an impressive timeAFP Huge things are expected of the young AustralianAFP Just four hundredths ahead, Kennedy said he was lucky to beat his fellow Queenslander in a sell-out event in front of 10,000 spectators at the Lakeside Stadium. “I got lucky this time, my goal was just to go out hard and try my best to hold him off,” the 21-year-old race winner said after running a personal best 20.26s. Gout, who was the youngest runner in the event by four years, was full of praise for the man who upstaged him. The teenager commented: “It’s not a new rivalry, but it’s a rivalry I appreciate and I love Lachie, he’s also a Queenslander. “It definitely puts fuel to my fire, and it lights that burn, so when I get to training, [I will] work even harder and help better myself for nationals.” There is huge anticipation around Gout, who first went viral as a dominant youngster and has carried through that promise into his later teen years. In December last year he beat Peter Norman’s 56-year-old Australian 200m record with a time of 20:04 seconds. Comparisons to sprinting legend Usain Bolt have already begun, and were fueled by the fastest man of all time, who commented: “He looks like a young me.” That 20:04 time also beat Bolt’s age record for a 16-year-old of 20.13, set back in 2003. Responding to the comparisons, Gout did admit he felt some pressure seeing his name alongside the legendary Jamaican. Gout didn’t mind losing to another local ladAFP “At times it does get a bit overwhelming but, now that I’ve grown up, I’m a bit mature and my circle really helps me stay level and I’m just trying to make a name for myself,” he said. “My dream is I want to be one of the best track and field athletes Australia has ever seen. “I want to go to the ’28 Olympics in LA. I want to go to the Brisbane Olympics. “And I just want to show the world that I’m Gout and how I’m here to stay and the Olympics is the best place to do that.”
Athletic’s new Golden Boy had to settle for silver in a surprise on his senior debut.
Gout Gout, the 17-year-old Australian phenomenon, finished runner-up to countryman Lachie Kennedy in the 200 metres at the Maurie Plant meet in Melbourne on Saturday.
Just four hundredths ahead, Kennedy said he was lucky to beat his fellow Queenslander in a sell-out event in front of 10,000 spectators at the Lakeside Stadium.
“I got lucky this time, my goal was just to go out hard and try my best to hold him off,” the 21-year-old race winner said after running a personal best 20.26s.
Gout, who was the youngest runner in the event by four years, was full of praise for the man who upstaged him.
The teenager commented: “It’s not a new rivalry, but it’s a rivalry I appreciate and I love Lachie, he’s also a Queenslander.
“It definitely puts fuel to my fire, and it lights that burn, so when I get to training, [I will] work even harder and help better myself for nationals.”
There is huge anticipation around Gout, who first went viral as a dominant youngster and has carried through that promise into his later teen years.
In December last year he beat Peter Norman’s 56-year-old Australian 200m record with a time of 20:04 seconds.
Comparisons to sprinting legend Usain Bolt have already begun, and were fueled by the fastest man of all time, who commented: “He looks like a young me.”
That 20:04 time also beat Bolt’s age record for a 16-year-old of 20.13, set back in 2003.
Responding to the comparisons, Gout did admit he felt some pressure seeing his name alongside the legendary Jamaican.
“At times it does get a bit overwhelming but, now that I’ve grown up, I’m a bit mature and my circle really helps me stay level and I’m just trying to make a name for myself,” he said.
“My dream is I want to be one of the best track and field athletes Australia has ever seen.
“I want to go to the ’28 Olympics in LA. I want to go to the Brisbane Olympics.
“And I just want to show the world that I’m Gout and how I’m here to stay and the Olympics is the best place to do that.”
