Sprint legend Usain Bolt has offered advice to rising Australian teenager Gout Gout.
The 18-year-old clocked 19.67 seconds to win the 200m at the Australian Athletics Championships on April 12.
That broke the world under-20 record of 19.69 seconds set by American sprinter Erriyon Knighton, as well as Bolt’s own junior record of 19.93 seconds, which had stood since 2004.
Gout, who is also the Australian champion over 100m, had previously recorded a time of 19.84 seconds in the 200m at the national championships and ran 20.04 seconds at the 2024 nationals at the age of 16.
In a recent interview with CNN, eight-time Olympic champion Usain Bolt told the young athlete: “When people do well at a young age, they get distracted by other things and forget about athletics. I was young once too. I hope he has the right people around him to guide him and help him stay focused on the sport. If you lose your way, it’s over.”
Bolt had previously said Gout reminded him of his “younger self”.
Gout will compete in the 200m Diamond League meeting in Oslo on June 10, which will be his first international competition.
He will then take part in the World Athletics Under-20 Championships in Oregon, USA, in August.
Source: BBC
