Eighteen-year-old sprint prospect Gout Gout is already being talked about as a potential gold medallist at the Brisbane 2032 Olympics, but Jamaica’s legendary sprinter Usain Bolt has warned the Australian to keep his eyes on the track amid the distractions of early fame. Bolt, an eight-time Olympic champion and holder of the 100m and 200m world records (9.58 and 19.19), discussed Gout in an interview with CNN.
Bolt stressed the importance of good guidance and concentration at a young age, saying, “Hopefully he has the right set of people to guide him and keep him focused on track and field because the rest of the stuff will always be there.” He added that losing focus can quickly undermine even the most promising athletic careers.
Gout recently won the 200 metres at the Australian Athletics Championships in 19.67 and claimed the Under-20 100m title in 10.21. He is due to make his Diamond League debut in the 200m in Oslo on June 10, where he will line up against reigning Olympic champion Letsile Tebogo of Botswana. Gout has indicated he will skip the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow this summer to concentrate on the World Under-20 Championships in Oregon in August.