A 16-year-old Australian sprinter, has set the athletics world buzzing with his remarkable speed. The teenage athlete broke one of Bolt’s many records at just 14! Yet, his team insists that his comparison with Usain Bolt are misplaced. Gout Gout’s achievements have been nothing short of astounding. He drew attention not only for his blazing times but for the uncanny way he mirrors some of Bolt’s iconic track presence. However, the young athlete’s manager had some different opinions to share on the same.

Gout first turned heads at just 14, when he broke one of Bolt’s under-20 records. The Aussie in his young teenage days posted a sensational 20.60 seconds in the 200m. And adding to that, his recent performances continue to underscore his extraordinary potential on the track. Despite this, Gout’s manager urges fans and media to temper the excitement. He wants the young sprinter to get the room to grow without Bolt’s legacy looming over him.

Earlier this month, he set a new benchmark for Australian sprinting by clocking 20.29 seconds in the 200m at the All Schools Queensland Championships. And guess what, it is Australia’s fastest time in the last 31 years! At such a tender age, Gout Gout secured a sponsorship with Adidas for his remarkable achievements. Still, for all his emerging accolades, his team remains firm in protecting his path. His manager, James Templeton urges patience as Gout finds his own place in the sport.

In a recent conversation, James Templeton shared his thoughts with ABC news. According to Templeton, comparing a teenage athlete to an eight-time Olympic gold medalist may add unneeded pressure. He clearly stated, “I’ve avoided using the ‘UB’ (Usain Bolt) comparison. I think that’s unfair to a young athlete.” Templeton further 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 (Gout Gout) to be a normal kid at school. We don’t want him to have any distraction.”

Despite these efforts, Gout’s viral status in the world of track and field has been unavoidable because fans from all over the globe see in him shades of the legendary Bolt. To be likened to Bolt is a compliment few athletes will ever receive. However, Gout’s manager’s thoughts highlight how he wants the young phenom to shine on his own light without any comparison from such an early stage. More so because Gout’s journey is only just beginning. 

The athlete himself has taken the attention in stride. In a recent interview, he acknowledged the honor of being compared to Bolt but remains grounded. “It’s pretty cool,” he admitted. He could not deny the fact that “Usain Bolt is arguably the greatest athlete of all time, and just being compared to him is a great feeling.” The 16-year-old Aussie further continued, “Obviously, I’m Gout Gout, so I’m trying to make a name for myself. If I can get to the level he was, that would be a great achievement.” While the reactions of track enthusiasts have skyrocketed, the Jamaican track legend had some words of advice to share for the young sprinter.

Usain Bolt shares words of wisdom with Gout Gout

Usain Bolt just got his 2002 world record smashed by a tantalizing 0.01s. However, Bolt seems to be really elated about the fact that at such a tender age, Gout Gout has managed to achieve the exceptional feat. However, the Fastest Man Alive also went back to reminisce about his sprinting days in a recent interview with Jake Humphrey. Speaking on the High Performance Podcast, Bolt said that despite winning almost every race, he was not acquainted with the concept of ‘greatness.’ 

The Jamaican legend further said, “I was 15 when I won the world juniors, I was really young and I was really talented so I didn’t have to work as hard as it was just talent, as I was winning and winning.” He then told the young Australian sprinter about accepting failure in a sporting manner. Bolt mentioned that after competing on a professional level, he was astonished when he suffered back-to-back losses. 

Thus, it was important for the Australian to keep the hard work going. What Bolt emphasized was that defeat will surely come but that must not let his spirits go down. Well, getting significant fame at such a young age, it now remains to be seen how well he can carry on the momentum in the future.