‘Overwhelming’ – Gout Gout speaks out on relentless Usain Bolt comparisons
Teenage sprint sensation Gout Gout admits ongoing comparisons with Usain Bolt have become overwhelming. The 17-year-old has taken the sport by storm since footage surfaced of his excessive sprint speeds in school athletics. Gout continues to break records in Australia with his lightning speedAFP via Getty The scope of his dominance has seen him draw comparisons with Olympic legend Bolt, although the Australian still has a long way to go to emulate him. The early signs appear promising, especially after breaking Olympic silver medallist Peter Norman’s 56-year-old Australian 200m record in December in a time of 20:04 seconds. “I didn’t expect it to be that fast, but I guess I ran Australia’s fastest ever time in the 200m,” Gout told Athletics Australia after the race. “I have been chasing that record, but I didn’t think that it would come this year. I thought maybe next year, or the year after that.” But it was Bolt’s response to the record-breaking display that sparked the comparisons. After watching Gout canter to victory, the eight-time Olympic gold medalist said: “He looks like young me.” His performance that day intensified the resemblance to the Jamaican, something Gout appreciates even if it does sometimes feel a little bewildering. “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,” Gout told 7News, as quoted by Olympics.com. “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.” Gout shared details of the moment a victorious school competition sparked his love for competition and the belief he could become a star in the sport. GettyGout has been working closely with coach Di Sheppard in a bid to further maximise his incredible potential[/caption] Gout has been compared to Olympic legend Usain BoltGetty “I was running in the interhouse and I was against the state champion for his age group,” he recalled. “He was a year younger than me at the time. And I basically beat him and coach (Di Sheppard) came up to me and she was like, ‘I believe you can be someone, you can be one of the fastest in Australia, fastest in the world.’ And that really touched me. “From then I’ve been training with my coach, and we’ve just been building on that.” Sheppard still believes Gout has all the attributes to be the very best in his field after what has already been an auspicious start. “I suppose when we talk about it, it’s not might, it’s like when… we don’t do might, it’s when,” Sheppard said. Last week, Gout left fans stunned once again after running a wind-assisted 19.98 in the 200m in Brisbane. Gout broke the Australian 200m record in December which had stood for 56 yearsGetty However, biggest tests are on the horizon with Gout set to make his debut against senior sprint stars in Melbourne this weekend.
Teenage sprint sensation Gout Gout admits ongoing comparisons with Usain Bolt have become overwhelming.
The 17-year-old has taken the sport by storm since footage surfaced of his excessive sprint speeds in school athletics.
The scope of his dominance has seen him draw comparisons with Olympic legend Bolt, although the Australian still has a long way to go to emulate him.
The early signs appear promising, especially after breaking Olympic silver medallist Peter Norman’s 56-year-old Australian 200m record in December in a time of 20:04 seconds.
“I didn’t expect it to be that fast, but I guess I ran Australia’s fastest ever time in the 200m,” Gout told Athletics Australia after the race. “I have been chasing that record, but I didn’t think that it would come this year. I thought maybe next year, or the year after that.”
But it was Bolt’s response to the record-breaking display that sparked the comparisons.
After watching Gout canter to victory, the eight-time Olympic gold medalist said: “He looks like young me.”
His performance that day intensified the resemblance to the Jamaican, something Gout appreciates even if it does sometimes feel a little bewildering.
“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,” Gout told 7News, as quoted by Olympics.com.
“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.”
Gout shared details of the moment a victorious school competition sparked his love for competition and the belief he could become a star in the sport.
“I was running in the interhouse and I was against the state champion for his age group,” he recalled.
“He was a year younger than me at the time. And I basically beat him and coach (Di Sheppard) came up to me and she was like, ‘I believe you can be someone, you can be one of the fastest in Australia, fastest in the world.’ And that really touched me.
“From then I’ve been training with my coach, and we’ve just been building on that.”
Sheppard still believes Gout has all the attributes to be the very best in his field after what has already been an auspicious start.
“I suppose when we talk about it, it’s not might, it’s like when… we don’t do might, it’s when,” Sheppard said.
Last week, Gout left fans stunned once again after running a wind-assisted 19.98 in the 200m in Brisbane.
However, biggest tests are on the horizon with Gout set to make his debut against senior sprint stars in Melbourne this weekend.
