Australian sprinter Gout Gout has set the athletics world abuzz after his breathtaking 100m performance that went viral on social media. At just 16 years old, the Queensland-born sensation has shown a burst of speed, cementing himself as a rising star in Track and Field. In March 2024, Gout clocked a remarkable 10.29 seconds in the 100m, an explosive final 50 meters. To put that into perspective, if he had recorded that time at the Paris 2024 Olympics, he would have advanced straight into the first round of the men’s 100m event. Now, with such impressive stats, Gout has his sights set on the 2028 and 2032 Olympics. Especially, the 2032 one which is going to be set in his hometown.

Following the Paris 2024 Olympics, the next major international sporting event will be the 2026 Winter Olympics hosted by Italy from February 6 to 22. Then come the Summer Games that will be headed to Los Angeles from July 14 to 30, 2028, marking the first time the U.S. has hosted the Olympics since the 2002 Winter Olympics. In 2030, the Winter Olympics will be taking place in the French Alps, making it the second time in six years following Paris 2024. Finally, the 2032 Summer Olympics will arrive in Brisbane, Australia, from July 23 to August 8. This will be Australia’s first time hosting the Olympics since the 2000 Sydney Games, and Gout Gout plans to compete in it.

During a recent appearance on the Beyond the Records podcast, co-hosted by American Track and Field stars Noh Lyles, Grant Holloway, and Rai Benjamin, Gout discussed his ambitions for the 2028 and 2032 Olympics. The interview took place in Florida during a two-week stint alongside his coach Di Sheppard, manager James Templeton, and training partner Jonathan Kasiano. The elite training camp was held at the National Training Center with Lyles and his renowned coach, Lance Brauman.

Gout expressed his determination to represent Australia on the grandest stage by saying, “That’s the end goal for sure, so like pretty much running there and then obviously LA which is in 2028 your hometown or not home country. So looking forward to that and obviously, I’ll be aiming to head there, and also the World Championships this year in Tokyo. I’m aiming to get it I got to qualify so aiming to be there as well and yeah, 2032 that’s where I’m at for sure.” Adidas, the global sportswear brand that sponsors both Lyles and Gout, made his experience in Florida possible. This opportunity was also the result of a longstanding friendship between Gout’s manager James Templeton and Brauman.

Despite Gout’s rapid rise in the athletics world, he remains grounded in his roots. After turning 17 over Christmas, he returned to school for his final year of studies while continuing the rigorous training regime. Given his age, Gout Gout is still classified as a junior athlete, yet he has a rare opportunity to compete in both junior and senior World Championships simultaneously. With his amazing speed, Gout is also being compared to the eight-time Olympic champion Usain Bolt.

Gout Gout talks about comparisons to Usain Bolt

As a young sprinter breaking records at an unprecedented pace, Gout has drawn an inevitable comparison to Usain Bolt, the legendary Jamaican runner. Last year, he became the fastest 16-year-old in 200 m history, further drawing parallels between him and the track icon. During the same podcast, Gout Gout addressed the comparisons head-on. “I‘m trying to be the next Gout Gout. Obviously, being compared to Usain Bolt—everyone wants to be the next star basically, and Usain Bolt is the best we’ve known, the best athlete. So being compared to him is obviously great, but then I’m Gout Gout, so I want to be able to make my name as big as his name. And obviously, in the future, people younger would be like, ‘You’re going to be the next Gout Gout.“, he said on the comparisons.

The pressure of being labeled as the next Bolt is immense, but it also highlights how highly regarded Gout’s reputation has become in the Track and Field community. His achievements speak for themselves, becoming Australia’s fastest-ever 200m runner and surpassing Peter Norman’s long-standing national record of 20.06 seconds set during the 1968 Mexico City Olympics. Additionally, the run secured him the Oceanian Area record, making Gout Gout the fastest sprinter in the region’s history. Even more astonishing is that Gout’s 200m time outpaced Bolt’s record at the same age, as the Jamaican great had clocked 20.13 seconds in the teenage years.

He is now ranked joint-sixth on the all-time list of under-20 200m runners, given that the other athletes on the list were up to four years older when they made the record. While comparisons to Usain Bolt may follow him continuously for the years to come, Gout remains focused on forging his own legacy. Whether he reaches the legendary heights of Bolt or not is yet to be seen, but one thing remains clear: he is on the path to becoming Australia’s next great sprinting icon. As the world watches his journey unfold, the question isn’t whether Gout Gout will make it to the Olympics, but just how far will he go once he gets there.