At just 16 years old, Australian sprinting sensation Gout Gout is taking the track and field world by storm. Gout’s most recent achievement came at the Australian All-Schools Athletics Championships, where he clocked an astonishing 10.04 seconds in the 100m heats. It had the potential to become the fastest ever time clocked by an under-18 athlete in the 100-meter dash. However, due to an illegal tailwind of +3.4 m/s, the timing was deemed ineligible for official recognition. But the teenager was not done yet.

With the wind subsided Gout delivered another electrifying performance in the final. Clocking a legal 10.17 seconds, he obliterated the Australian U18 record of 10.27 held by Sebastian Sultana, officially becoming the sixth-fastest under-18 sprinter in history. After the massive win, Gout stated, “I’ve been chasing this national record for a while now. In the heat, I thought I got it, but it was a crazy tailwind, so I just did the same thing and got the job done.” With that, comparisons with sprint legend Usain Bolt are not entirely absurd. And here is a piece of stat that might make you think.

According to World Athletics records, Bolt ran his first 100m race at the Rethymno Vardinoyiannia, Rethymno, Greece on July 18, 2007. In that race, the then-20-year Bolt pulled off a wind-legal 10.03 seconds. So, if Gout can clock those times even before he is barely allowed to drive in Australia, then he surely has a lot to bring in the coming days. And that is what has started threatening the U.S. sprinters who currently dominate the U18 scoreboards.

The challenge is especially huge for US teenager Christian Miller. The budding American, who is going to be 18 on May 16, currently tops the all-time U18 list with 10.06 seconds, clocked at the USATF U20 Championship last year. He ties with Thailand’s Puripol Boonson, who has already turned 18 this January. Another American youngster ahead of Gout on the list is Erriyon Knighton, who stands in the 5th position with 10.16 seconds. But Knighton won’t get a chance to better that since he is already 20. So here is the kicker.

Gout is just 16 (will turn 17 on December 29) and will get quite a few chances to get past the numbers posted by the Americans. Another point to note is that during the heat where Gout posted the 10.04 time (it now ranks as the fourth-fastest time ever recorded by an under-18 athlete under any conditions), he missed the start. If he can pull off that time even after the debacle, it is not difficult to project what he might do if he works on his start. Moreover, Gout’s achievements extend beyond the 100m.

Gout claimed silver in the 200m race at the 2024 World Athletics U20 Championships in August clocking 20.60. At the Queensland All-Schools Athletics Championships last month, he lowered that to 20.29 seconds, securing the Australian U18 and U20 records. His time of 20.29 is just fractions behind Peter Norman’s iconic national mark of 20.06, set during his silver-medal-winning run at the 1968 Olympics. For context, Bolt ran 20.13s when aged 16. With a focus on both events, Gout’s versatility mirrors that of Bolt, who dominated sprints across distances. And Gout is not shy to voice his targets.

“If I can run that with a tailwind, I can definitely run that with no wind – [I’m] just waiting for the day. I am after the under-20 record and [the] open record. I always knew I could push sub-10 [seconds] – I didn’t think it would be so soon, but I guess I keep doing what I do,” Gout said after the race.

The son of South Sudanese immigrants, Gout Gout attributes his success to discipline and vision. Next month, he plans to head to the U.S. to train with world champion Noah Lyles and renowned coach Lance Brauman. “Hopefully, we can qualify for the Tokyo World Championships. If not, I’ll just finish school in year 12,” he said, unveiling his approach and aim for the upcoming days. However, despite all the hype surrounding his comparison to the Jamaican legend, the young sprinter’s manager had a different approach to the situation.

Gout Gout’s coach wants to keep things simple

Drawing comparisons to Usain Bolt is no small feat, and going toe-to-toe with the legendary sprinter at such a young age is even rarer. Unsurprisingly, the fame has hit the 14-year-old like a freight train. With his popularity skyrocketing, Gout needs to have a guiding hand to navigate the pressures of success—and fortunately, that hand belongs to his experienced manager, James Templeton.

In a conversation with ABC News, Templeton emphasized the importance of keeping Gout grounded amidst the buzz. He stressed that the young prodigy should focus on developing his own identity and growing as an athlete. Templeton remarked, “I’ve avoided using the ‘UB’ (Usain Bolt) comparison. I think that’s unfair to a young athlete.” He added, “For 18 months I’ve basically said a blanket ‘no’ to every media outlet in Australia that has asked. We just want to allow him to be a normal kid at school. We don’t want him to have any distractions.” 

As Gout Gout continues to shatter barriers and rewrite records, one question looms large in the minds of track enthusiasts: Will he follow in Bolt’s footsteps, or is he destined to forge his unique legacy? Only time—and his electrifying performances on the track—will tell the tale of this rising star.