Bolt Advises Gout Not to Forget Track and Field

Australian sprinter Gout Gout secured a silver medal in the 200m at the 2024 World Under-20 Championships when he was just 16. Now, at 18, he has claimed the 200m title again at the Australian Athletics Championships, achieving a time of 19.67 seconds. This performance surpassed the world under-20 record set by USA’s Erriyon Knighton (19.69) and beat Usain Bolt’s own teenage best of 19.93 seconds from 2004.

Gout, who also won the under-20 100m national title, previously broke the 20-second barrier with a wind-assisted 19.84 in the last season’s championships. At 16, he ran 20.04 seconds, a record for the youngest competitor in the 200m event. Bolt, the eight-time Olympic champion, has likened Gout to his younger self and shared his insights with CNN.

“When you’re that young, with so many distractions around, it’s easy to lose focus on track and field,” Bolt said. “If you mess up on track and field, then it all goes away.”

Gout plans to debut in the Diamond League’s 200m in Oslo on 10 June. However, he will skip the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow to concentrate on the World Under-20 Championships in Oregon later this year. His strategy highlights the balance between international competitions and maintaining focus on personal growth.

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