Australian teenage sprint sensation Gout Gout says he would consider his first world championships a success if he runs a personal best in the 200 meters in Tokyo, regardless of where he finishes.
The 17-year-old, known for his long, powerful strides, has drawn comparisons to sprinting legend Usain Bolt after breaking Australia’s long-standing 200-meter record and posting a string of lightning-fast times over the past year.
Gout clocked 20.02 seconds in Ostrava in June and is eager to test himself against the world’s elite at Tokyo’s National Stadium, where the heats begin Wednesday.
“I definitely think PB-ing, regardless of where I come, is definitely a big success,” he told reporters Monday in Tokyo. “And hopefully, if I can make it to the semis, that's even greater. And then if I make it into the final, that's a big success.”
Despite stepping up to senior competition just a year after competing in the world junior championships, Gout said he would not be intimidated.
“I've earned my place to be here,” he said. “Obviously, these athletes are stronger, bigger, older, more experienced, but I know that I have the ability to go out there and do my thing.
“At the end of the day, we're all running 200 meters, and regardless of how old you are, when you stop on that line, it's all about who's fastest.”
While he initially expected to compete in both the 100 and 200 meters, as he developed, Gout said breaking the 20-second barrier in the 200 was always on his mind.
“Running 19 seconds, you're up there for sure,” he added. “You know you're in the top 15, top 20 in the world. So it's definitely great.”
After Tokyo, Gout said he would take a short holiday before returning to school, where he is a straight-A student, to complete his final exams.
The teenager’s ebullient personality, which has only added to his popularity in Australia, was on full display Monday as he discussed topics ranging from his love of burgers to squabbles with his siblings to his overnight fame.
“It's definitely crazy,” he said. “I've had people with their grandparents come up to me wanting photos ... I've had a baby – her mother wanted me to sign her forehead.
“It's definitely surreal ... and it's definitely something I enjoy.”
The son of refugees from South Sudan, Gout said it might have been destiny that he was born and raised in southeast Queensland, the site of the 2032 Olympics.
“There was a choice between Canada and Australia,” he said. “I think God kind of made them follow that path, and they landed on Queensland.”
Bolt offered him advice about transitioning to senior racing last week, and Gout, while patient, made clear he wants to follow the path to greatness that the Jamaican set.
“Just being able to be that someone who started off as a nobody and became someone really, really good,” he said. “Being that, I think, would be a very, very big success for me.”
