Gout Gout shows why he is being compared to Usain Bolt by destroying another field just 24 hours after his 100 metre heroics: ‘He just took the absolute mickey’
The Gout Gout show has continued in Brisbane, with the 16-year-old speedster compared to Usain Bolt coasting to victory in the 200m.
Just 24 hours after claiming a wind-assisted time of of 10.04 seconds in his 100m heat, the Ipswich product has crushed his competition again at the Australian All Schools Athletics Championships.
The wind was again at the teenager’s back and he coasted to victory in the 200m heat with a time of 20.38.
Bolt holds the world 200m record with a time of 19.19 seconds.
Gout again attracted a big crowd at the Queensland Sport and Athletics Centre and had commentators in awe – especially when he pulled up and just coasted over the line with no competitor anywhere near him.
‘Wind him up and watch him go now. The signature kick’s about to be signed, sealed and delivered,’ one commentator said.
Gout Gout has been dominant at the Queensland Sport and Athletics Centre in Brisbane
‘Gout Gout starts to move away, he extends away, he does it as easy as you like. Who else but Gout Gout will look that easy running 20.38.’
‘He just took the absolute mickey. He was chilling,’ the co-commentator said.
Unfortunately for Gout, his 200m time and the 100m time he clocked won’t be etched in any history books.
An illegal tailwind of 3.4m/s denied the 16-year-old his moment, not that the Ipswich Grammar student will be kicking stones.
Gout still recorded the fifth fastest time by an Australian, and given his start from the blocks was laboured, there is significant room for improvement.
Following his seemingly effortless heat win, Gout later won the 100m final in 10.17, assisted with a legal 0.9m/s tailwind.
It was the sixth fastest ever time by an under-18 in the world, and showed Gout can handle pressure.
‘I’ve been chasing this national under-18 record for a while,’ Gout said.
The hype is real when it comes to teenage sprint sensation Gout Gout (pictured, at the Australian All Schools Athletics Championships in Brisbane)
The 16-year-old ran a blistering 10.04 in his 100m final – but illegal tailwind of 3.4m/s ensured his time won’t be added to the history books
‘This was a great atmosphere, this does wonders for track and I couldn’t be happier.
‘When I was younger I didn’t think I could compete against the best or even train with them,’ Gout said.
‘Now I’m up there I couldn’t be happier.’
Gout’s earlier unofficial time of 10.04 has only been previously beaten by Patrick Johnson (9.88, 3.6m/s wind), Rohan Browning (9.96, 3.3m/s), Tim Jackson (10.00, 4.3m/s) and former Olympian turned TV identity Matt Shirvington (10.03, -0.1m/s).
Post-race, Gout thanked his family for their ‘tough journey’ after moving to Australia ‘for a better life’ from South Sudan.
He also knows plenty of eyes will be firmly on him each time he now wears his spikes.
‘Track and field right now is getting bigger,’ he said. ‘Australia is big in track and field now and I couldn’t be happier.’
On Saturday, Gout will compete in the 200m heats – and safe to say finals – where he will be the gold medal favourite in his age group after running 20.29 at the All Schools Queensland track and field championships in November.
Already sponsored by Adidas, Gout Gout is the son of South Sudanese immigrants Monica (left) and Bona Gout
At just 16, Brisbane based track sprinter Gout Gout is the future of Australia athletics
Gout’s coach Di Sheppard believes the son of two South Sudanese immigrants could be an Olympic champion in the 100m and 200m like his idol Usain Bolt
As his profile increases, Gout knows he is the centre of attention most places he goes.
Constant comparisons to Jamaican sporting great Usain Bolt would be intimidating for many teenagers – but not the confident student from suburban Brisbane.
Gout is happy to take everything in his stride – literally – and see just how far the sport takes him.
Already sponsored by Adidas, the son of South Sudanese immigrants Monica and Bona Gout finished second in the 200m final at the World Under-20 Championships in Lima back in August.
The flyer was racing athletes up to two years older, and he scorched across the track to record a slick time of 20.60.
Gout is also adamant he can eventually break the elusive 10 second barrier.
The last Australia to do so was Patrick Johnson back in 2003, who clocked 9.93 at a meet in Japan.
Gout has declared a time of sub 10 will ‘definitely happen’ – and given he has started beating junior records of Olympic icon Bolt, it is hard to argue.
Eight-time Olympic gold medallist Usain Bolt is widely considered the greatest sprinter of all time
His coach Di Sheppard – who discovered him when Gout was a year 7 student – is just as confident.
‘We talk about it because to us it’s a given (that he breaks 10 seconds),’ she told News Corp.
‘When it happens it happens, and it could happen early….because everything’s happening sooner than we expected.’
Come the Brisbane Olympics in 2032, Gout will be 24 – and Sheppard believes he can do the 100m/200m double on the world’s biggest stage.
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 are travelling to the US for a training stint with Olympic 100m champion Noah Lyles, who is based in Orlando.
The primary aim will be watching Lyles in the flesh, and learning how to deal with the considerable hype which is certain to follow over the next few years.
Australia had its iconic Cathy Freeman moment at the Sydney Olympics in 2000 – what price of history repeating itself with Gout in Brisbane come 2032?
