Gout Gout: Is a 17-year-old wonderkid the next Usain Bolt?

He's not even old enough to drink the champagne that might be flowing his way should he taste success in the men's 200m at the World Championships, yet Gout Gout has got many astute observers salivating at his rare talents.

World Athletics President Seb Coe told Sky Sports; "He's the real deal." So why is a 17-year-old kid from Queensland, Australia getting people excited?

Gout Gout is fast and has been for a few years, but it is at these World Championships that we might see his shear potential as he makes the tricky transition from 'junior' to 'senior' athlete.

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The son of parents from war-torn South Sudan, his mum Monica and dad Bona moved to Australia after fleeing the conflict there, their son was born two years after they had settled in Australia.

By his early teens it was clear he was a talented sportsman, playing football and sprinting to a high standard. At 14, he ran 10.57 seconds for the 100m and just a year later broke the Australian U18 200m record - he was just 15.

Last year he set a trail of domestic records in both 100m and 200m while also posting very decent times over 400m.

While tongues were already wagging within Australia and among athletics aficionados, it was in October of last year when Gout Gout really started to be noticed. He had signed a deal with Adidas and ran 20.29 over 200m becoming the fourth-fastest ever over that distance for youth age groups, Usain Bolt being one of those faster.

Two months later he ran 20.04, this time was faster than Bolt had been in the U18 category and set a new Australian men's senior record, breaking the previous record that had been held since 1968.

Earlier this year Gout Gout did dip under the magic 20-second barrier, running 19.84 seconds, but it was just over the legal wind-assisted rate of two metres a second (+2.2m/sec) so while the race time stands, it can't be logged as either a record or a personal best.

In June, when making his senior debut racing in Europe, he broke the Australian senior record again, lowering it to 20.02 seconds. It would have been one of the greatest surprises in sprinting had Australia not selected Gout Gout for the World Championships, they duly did select him to compete over 200m.

As Gout Gout is so young and so fast, the comparisons with Usain Bolt are to be expected, but many are concerned that the hype could damage the progression of a rare talent. Coe though has been impressed with how the 17-year-old is being looked after; "He is the real deal, but the challenge over the next three to four years is to take his talent into the seniors.

"He is very level-headed and has good man-management… it's a great story, but I wouldn't burden him with a medal (at the World Championships). This is a learning curve and I think he may be too young to realise what is going on!"

The great Usain Bolt agrees with Coe, speaking in Tokyo ahead of the Championships, he said: "If he continues on this track it's going to be good, but it's all about getting everything right.

"It's always easier when you're younger because I was there. I used to do great things when I was young, but the transition to senior from junior is always tougher."

Those sage words of advice from World and Olympic Champions hasn't stopped the hype though, especially in Australia where pundits believe Gout Gout will make the 200m final - something Bolt did not do at that age - with more than double the number of Australian media accredited for the Tokyo World Championships compared with Budapest 2023.

There is generally an increased interest in athletics in Australia, they won seven track and field medals at Paris 2024 and along with Gout Gout, have several other genuine medal contenders for Tokyo.

Couple this surge in talent with Brisbane set to host the 2032 Olympic Games, many who love the hyperbole have already put the Gold medal around Gout Gout's neck for the sprint double in seven years time.

Seems a long time… Gout Gout will still only be 24!

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