Ever wonder what it takes to capture the attention of an Olympic great? Meet 17-year-old sprint sensation Gout Gout of Queensland who’s got Australia’s sole indigenous individual Olympic gold medalist, Cathy Freeman, in a state of excitement. With the Brisbane 2032 Games coming up, Freeman spilled her genuine opinion of this kid. And trust me, she has a wish!

She hopes to see the young sensation dominating the track on home ground. Her words, packaged in that headline style, are not compliments—they remain a push for Gout to pursue something great.

Cathy Freeman’s done it all. Thus, she’s cheering Gout on to make Brisbane his Sydney moment. On 7NEWS Spotlight, she describes Gout as humble but hungry—targeting LA 2028 and Brisbane 2032. Freeman recently on March 24 spoke to 7 News host Bruce McAvaney as they discussed a 17-year-old sprinting sensation.

“I didn’t realize but he’s just something else watching him race it’s like he’s running downhill in the last 100 it’s like he’s been shot out of a cannon or something come on I think he’s an absolute joy he’s an absolute delight”, she said during the interview.

Born in ’73 in Mackay, Freeman was already snagging medals by her teens. At 16, she nabbed gold in the 4×100-meter relay at the 1990 Commonwealth Games—pretty cool, right? By 17, she was Young Australian of the Year, setting the stage for that iconic 400-meter win in Sydney 2000.

She also wishes to see Gout competing at the Brisbane 2032 games. “I think he’s his own story. I think he’s his own future, his own present, and it’s going to be a unique tale. I hope to be there watching him in seven years time,uh he’ll be 24 is that right he said so 24 it’s crazy,” Freeman adds further.

Imagine this: she’s 27, igniting the cauldron, then racing to gold with the Australian and Aboriginal flags on her shoulders. Chills. Now, let’s flash forward to Gout Gout. This South Sudanese-Aussie youngster’s already posting jaw-dropping times—such as 20.29 seconds in the 200-meter at the 2024 All-Schools Champs. At 17, he’s running circles around where Freeman was at 17. Wild, right?

Basing their careers on 17 is apples and oranges—both delicious, just a tad bit distinct atmosphere. Freeman’s early victories were collective efforts, her individual time in the spotlight later with a 200-meter national championship in 1990. Gout, however, is a one-man show already. That 10.29-second 100-meter and 20.29-second 200-meter in 2024?

Those are times that yell out, “

watch me.” Freeman worked up to her 48.63-second 400-meter best, while Gout has the juice to possibly double up in the 100m and 200m later on.

At 17, Freeman was laying bricks for her legacy; Gout’s already building a skyscraper. Her wish? The 17-year-old youngster from Australia lights up Brisbane like she did Sydney, inspiring kids the way she once did. Looking at his present form and his performance in the last few months, reaching the top doesn’t look that difficult for him.

Gout Gout’s achievements in the last few months

This Queensland 17-year-old sprinting prodigy has been setting the track ablaze lately. Consider his 200-meter dash during the Australian All-Schools Championships in December 2024: 20.04 seconds with legal +1.5 wind. That’s quicker than Bolt’s 20.13 seconds at age 16, in 2003 in Barbados. Gout didn’t only beat Bolt’s age-16 time—he broke Peter Norman’s 56-year-old Australian record of 20.06 at the 1968 Olympics as well.

Then, in March 2025 at the Queensland Athletics Championships, he ran a world-leading 20.05 seconds (+1.2 wind) in the heats and a wind-aided 19.98 seconds (+3.6 wind) in the final. That 19.98? It’s the quickest 200-meter ever by an Aussie in any conditions. Bolt’s best at 17 was 19.93 seconds, and the young star was in a hurry to catch up. But because of the wind exceeding +3, the time doesn’t count.

More than 100 meters, Gout’s no slouch either. He clocked 10.04 seconds (+3.4 wind) at the same All-Schools meet, making him the fourth-quickest U18 in the world all-time. Bolt at age 16? His best was 10.03 seconds, but that was after as a senior.

Gout also clocked 10.29 seconds legally (+0.9 wind) in March 2024, demonstrating he has raw speed even without a huge breeze. Bolt’s sub-10 junior 100-meter performances did not start until he was 18 years old. So Gout’s right on track with this prediction.

Bolt is in a league of his own—eight Olympic golds, world marks over 9.58 (100m) and 19.19 (200m). Gout just beginning, but with a silver at the 2024 U20 World Championships (20.60 seconds) and a set of age-group bests under his belt. Bolt was 17 when he took the 2002 World Juniors; Gout’s already targeting the 2025 World Championships in Tokyo.

Bolt went pro at the age of 21 and redefined history. Gout’s 17 and already getting trained by Noah Lyles in Florida in January 2026. The boy’s on a rocket ship. Gout’s got LA 2028 and Brisbane 2032 in his sights—time will tell if he’s the heir or his own legend.