Gout Gout eyes LA Games, aims to ‘dominate like Usain Bolt’

He wants to dominate the world sprinting scene like Usain Bolt, the Jamaican sensation easily regarded as one of the greatest of all time. But Gout Gout is out to carve out his own legacy.

He’s known throughout Australia as the next Usain Bolt, but Queensland teen sprint sensation Gout Gout just wants to create his own history.

Sure, he wants to dominate the world sprinting scene like Bolt, the Jamaican sensation easily regarded as one of the greatest of all time.

But Gout, while still only 17, is carving out his own legacy.

“It definitely gets tiring, I’m trying to make a name for myself,” said Gout on The Back Page on Fox Sports on Tuesday night.

It was a quick response to a late question about the comparisons to Bolt, who won eight Olympic gold medals and 11 world championships over his extraordinary career.

Sprinter Gout Gout at Fox Sports in Artarmon before appearing on The Back Page tonight. Picture: Jonathan Ng

And there’s certainly no disrespect from the young Queensland Year 12 student towards the all-time great.

But for Gout, who has come through perhaps the biggest six months on the track so far, he is intent on making his own name for himself, and achieving three key goals.

“Winning the Olympics and world championships,” he said.

“And, honestly, dominating like Bolt did.

“That’s the limit that’s reachable for me.”

A quick look at that CV and he’s done a good job so far.

He broke the 10-second barrier for the 100m and went sub-20 seconds in the 200m, though both times were not official due to the tailwind.

He claimed the national 200m title in Perth just a few weeks ago and claimed the under-20s national championship for the 100m at the same event.

Gout was also pipped on the line by Lachlan Kennedy at the Maurie Plant Meet in Melbourne earlier this year, and sparked enormous interest in his run to the semi finals at the Stawell Gift.

That event, Australia’s richest footrace, fed perfectly into what Gout likes best: running down his rivals.

It’s why he prefers the 200m event as he eyes the LA Olympic Games in 2028 and, of course, an Olympic campaign on home soil in 2032.

“Obviously I’m not the greatest starter but when I get to top speed, I love to run people down,” he said.

A football player who looked up to Argentine star Lionel Messi as a youngster, he took a liking to track and field as a teen and never looked back.

Blessed with speed, and a dedication and motivation to being the best to match that gift, has helped his love for sprinting turn into a real dream of racing on the biggest stages.

Gout Gout celebrates after winning the men’s 200m national championships final. Picture: Getty Images

And that has since sharpened to Olympics and world championships, a minor but important shift which came just last year when he claimed silver in the 200m at the under-20 world championships in Lima just last year.

“That was the first time I competed on the international stage and I came away with a silver medal,” he said.

“My whole focus was making it into the final, I was coming in 11th or 12th.

“Making the final would have been a huge deal for me but coming second I was like maybe I can take this to the next level and show the world what I can do.

“That was the pinpoint.”

* You can watch Gout Gout’s full interview on The Back Page on Kayo Sports.

Originally published as Gout Gout eyes LA Games, aims to ‘dominate like Usain Bolt’