Gout Gout plans to ‘dominate like Bolt’, fires cheeky Collingwood shot

Gout Gout says he got star struck running into some Collingwood players, but the teenager still took a cheeky swipe at the AFL giants.

If Aussie sensation Gout Gout is feeling any pressure, he sure isn’t showing it after he declared some of his goals for his sprinting career.

The 17-year-old made his first appearance in a live TV studio environment on Tuesday night on Foxtel’s The Back Page.

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Donning Real Madrid’s bright orange away kit, along with tracksuit pants and sneakers, the Queenslander comfortably handled the spotlight on a panel that included NRL great Greg Alexander and Bulldogs champion Brad Johnson.

He showed his youthful exuberance when he busted out a “griddy” dance move on the set (which you can see below), making a far better fist of it than budding F1 star Oscar Piastri after his victory in Monday’s Miami Grand Prix.

In an entertaining chat, he also made a little backhanded swipe at the Collingwood footy club.

Gout has taken Australian sprinting by storm over the past 18 months, dropping some ridiculous times on the track and drawing regular comparisons to Jamaican legend Usain Bolt.

Watch Gout Gout on The Back Page in the video player above

Gout Gout was comfortable on the live TV set. Photo: Fox Sports

He has broken a string of junior marks and dropped a stunning 20.04 seconds at December’s Australian All Schools Championship, breaking the national 200m record held by Peter Norman since 1968.

Among a host of questions that were fired his way, Gout was asked the main goals for his career.

While he conceded the Bolt comparison “gets tiring”, he immediately invoked the name of the eight-time Olympic gold medallist who holds both the 100m (9.58s) and 200m (19.19s) world records.

“I think the limit is just obviously winning Olympics and winning world championships and honestly dominating like Bolt did,” he declared.

“I think that limit is reachable for me.”

Gout didn’t shy away from trying to emulate Usain Bolt’s dominance. (Photo by Olivier MORIN / AFP)

With sprinters typically reaching their peak in their late 20s, many have tipped Gout to star in his home Olympic Games in Brisbane in 2032.

But the confident youngster is already eyeing off the Los Angeles Games in just three years’ time.

“The times I’ve run so far could potentially make it into finals, make the top four, top five, top six,” he said.

“Just getting better and aiming for LA obviously would be a great achievement and trying to be on that podium running against (Olympic 200m gold medallist Letsile) Tebogo, Noah (Lyles), (Lachlan) Kennedy, all them athletes.

“That’s definitely a goal in mind and keep aiming for the top.”

Gout and good mate Lachlan Kennedy have given Aussie athletics a huge lift. (Photo by Morgan Hancock/Getty Images)

Alongside fellow sprinter Lachie Kennedy, Gout was the star attraction for the annual Stawell Gift on April 21.

Yet organisers were left to lick their wounds after both fan favourites were bundled out in the semi-finals.

The dynamic duo both finished second in their respective races as they were unable to overcome their harsh handicaps.

Gout had a better outcome at the Australian Athletics Championships in Perth that same month, breaking the magical 10-second barrier twice en route to the under-20 100m crown.

In a wind-assisted effort, meaning it didn’t go into the official record books, the Queenslander ran identical times of 9.99 seconds in his heat and the final.

Gout was asked about those issues with the wind in his chat.

“Every race when I try to run fast the wind either hits me with a head wind or hits me with a crazy tailwind,” he said with a smile.

“So I just hope sometime in the future, sometime this year, I get a nice little tailwind and I’m able to run really fast.”

Studying his HSC at Ipswich Grammar School this year, Gout also trains six times a week, along with two gym sessions.

He’s become friendly with American champion Lyles, who won the 100m gold at the Paris Olympics, with the pair training together earlier this year.

Asked the areas where he can find improvement in his young career, Gout said “Some of it is definitely physical. I’m still a teenager and haven’t grown into my body yet.

Lions fan Gout took a cheeky shot at the Pies. (Photo by Michael Willson/AFL Photos via Getty Images)

“Still getting my grown man’s strength, as Noah would say, and just working on those little aspects, a couple of things at the start, gaining power and strength.

“Those little things really take you to the next level.”

Gout said his running style, where he appears to bounce off the track with his huge strides, is partly “god-given talent” and partly the work of intense training.

He is trying to adjust to his new found fame, including bumping into members of the Collingwood footy club on a recent flight.

“I was star gazing myself and they came up to me asking for a photo, so I was like that’s pretty crazy,” he said before throwing in a little joke.

“These athletes are obviously amazing, Collingwood is cool, Brisbane Lions are better, but people asking me for photos is great.”

Gout with Australian 100m record holder Patrick Johnson. Picture Instagram

While the 100m is the blue ribbon event on the sprinting schedule, he said the half-lap race is actually his favourite to contest.

“Definitely have a favourite in the 200, (it’s) by far my favourite because I’m not the greatest starter, but when I get onto top speed I run people down,” he said.

“So 200 is my favourite.”

Gout will be heading to Europe in June and July and with some favourable head winds, will start to show the rest of the world his talent and improvement.

Patrick Johnson remains the only Australian to record an official time under 10 seconds for the 100m, with his 9.93 seconds in Japan back in 2003 still the standard bearer for the country’s male sprinters.

But it seems it’s well within Gout’s reach as the budding superstar progresses in his young career.

Catch up with Gout Gout’s full interview on The Back Page on Kayo Sports

Originally published as Gout Gout plans to ‘dominate like Bolt’, fires cheeky Collingwood shot