It seems this year, Gout Gout is all about breaking records nowadays. Just four months ago, he broke the 56-year-old record of Peter Norman for the 200m with his 20.04 second run. This was enough to get him the Australian record. But it also led him to beat the great Usain Bolt’s record at the same age. With so much already in his bag, one might ask, what’s next? Such came the whispers of a sub-20 second 200m. To that, the youngster just had to say, “That’s always on the cards.” So what happened next? Well, Gout missed the record narrowly. But how?

Well, for that, we have to go back to the Queensland State Championships. The young sensation already had a blistering 20.05-second run in the heats. That already put him at the top of the rankings for this year. But it was in the finals that he bloomed. Standing on the ground, Gout Gout delivered on the sub-20 promise. He beat the likes of Zaine Leigh (22.10) and Liam Atkisnon (22.12) to record his best record ever at 19.98 seconds.  Unfortunately, the adverse conditions made his record remain illegal. Literally! But why?

Well, it will be considered illegal due to the overly favorable wind conditions. With the tailwinds measuring up to +3.6 m/s, it goes against the permissible limit of +2 m/s wind assistance. Speaking about his race, Gout stated, as per Australian Athletics, “I felt literally free. I had 80 meters left to go, and I thought, Let’s send it, and only from then did I believe I had a chance of going sub-20.” However, now that he has done it once, Gout knows that the focus will be on him to continue to keep up the good work. 

“Seeing the clock, I was really happy and surprised in a way, but it just felt like a weight off my shoulders. Now that I’ve done it, I’ve just got to do that more consistently,” the Australian further added. Surely, he needs to keep the momentum going. Because, after giving track fans all the blistering memories, they will want the Aussie teen to hit them with more surprises.

Despite his timing not getting counted, the young phenom is still in the elite history books. With his latest run, Gout becomes only the seventh athlete below the age of 20 to have run below the 20s mark in all wind conditions. Meanwhile, looking at his antics at such an early age, a track and field coach has just made a shocking claim related to Usain Bolt.

Veteran track coach backs Gout Gout with a massive claim

Gout Gout’s rise in track and field has sparked intense debate. However, Spanish sprinting coach Pau Fradera isn’t holding back from sharing his honest take. In a striking statement dated December 18, Fradera declared that the 16-year-old Australian sprinter is already technically superior to Usain Bolt.  Fradera mentions, “Technically, he is already better than Bolt. As a teenager, Bolt lacked a lot of stabilization. He was from one side to the other; he ran very uncontrollably.”

He continues with, “Gout is much better at that. Although the most amazing thing he has is his stride.”  With years of coaching experience, including helping Spanish sensation Guillem Crespi reach the European finals, we can assume that Fradera knows what he is talking about. It seems his assessment suggests that Gout’s early mastery of technique could give him a significant edge as he develops further.

While Bolt’s raw speed and natural talent were evident from a young age, Fradera believes Gout’s controlled running style sets him apart even at this early stage. However, Fradera was not entirely without caution. He pointed out that Gout still has work to do before reaching the heights of Bolt’s legendary career. “At that age, there are very developed runners who already make great times, but he still has a long way to go. As happened to Bolt at 16 or 17 years old, Gout still has to do; he needed a lot of strength work,” Fradera advised.

Despite the room for growth, the veteran coach’s assessment underscores the remarkable potential that the teenage phenom already possesses. A controlled, refined technique that could redefine the future of sprinting. So how far can the young Aussie go from here? Can he really go all the way to the levels of Usain Bolt? How soon will he be showing us another sub-20 run? Only time will tell.