Sprint sensation Gout Gout dubbed next Usain Bolt becomes fastest 16-year-old EVER and shatters Australian record

12/07/2024 01:17 PM

TEEN sprint machine Gout Gout is being labelled the next Usain Bolt – after becoming the fastest 16-year-old ever.

The Aussie smashed all sorts of records in clocking 20.04 for the 200m in the national schools championship.

Gout Gout says he is struggling to believe he’s done it all so young

Here’s how the sports chiefs reacted to his achievement

Gout admitted he’s struggling to “process” his “crazy” achievement – years ahead of even his own hopes.

He ran the second-quickest time in history for an Under-18.

The only kid above him is Florida’s Erriyon Knighton, who was 17 when recording 19.84s three years ago.

Gout’s time pipped the Australian record of 20.06, set by Peter Norman in winning 1958 Olympic silver.

The Queenslander, who will be 17 on December 29, said: “It’s pretty crazy.

“Right now I can’t process it, but I guess tonight when I go to bed, I’ll think about it.

“These are adults. And me, I’m just a kid, and I’m running them (down).

“I’ve been chasing that record, but I didn’t think it would come this year. I thought it would come maybe next year, the year after that.”

Gout’s 100m times are almost as spectacular as his 200m efforts.

He clocked 10.04 on Friday as the fourth-fastest Australian ever at the shorter distance.

But although Gout ran 0.02s quicker than the U-18s world record, it won’t count officially as it was too wind-assisted.

His running style as well as his times have brought comparisons to eight-time Olympic gold medallist Bolt.

The now-retired Jamaican, 38, holds the 100m and 200m world records at 9.58 and 11.19 respectively.

Bolt was unusually tall for a sprinter at 6ft 5ins – three inches taller than Gout currently is.