Gout Gout has laughed off criticism directed his way by America’s sprinting fraternity, as he declared he “definitely” has more in the tank to break the 10-second barrier this weekend.
Having announced himself as the world’s fastest in the 200 metres under the age of 20, clocking in at 19.67 seconds at the National Championships last weekend, Gout warmed up for the finals of the Australian Athletics Junior Championships with a 10.19 (0.3m/s tailwind) in his 100-metre heat on Friday.
The 18-year-old phenom from Ipswich started strongly, and appeared to ease off towards the backend of his race, heightening anticipation that tomorrow’s finals in Brisbane could be the day he joins fellow Queenslander Lachlan Kennedy and Olympic great Patrick Johnson as Australia’s only men to attain the sub-10s mark.
Gout’s exploits in Sydney’s national championships captured headlines around the world, but was met with its fair share of critics – namely from the US where pundits and former athletes, including sprinter Erin Brown, who deemed it a “fake” record due to the favourable conditions.
It simply made the rising star offer a small laugh when asked about the criticism following his heat, as he challenged the “haters” to continue firing his way.
“There are always going to be haters, if you’ve got haters it means you’re doing something right,” Gout said.
“It is what it is, I never take it [to heart], I just keep running, and obviously, it was pretty fast so that’s maybe why they were a bit mad. It motivates me to do it in even bigger races, for sure.”
Gout will enter Saturday’s semi-final as the firm favourite to clinch the title, having had the gauntlet thrown down at him by Kennedy.
Kennedy twice broke the 10-second barrier in Sydney last week, but the 18-year-old Gout has ensured their blossoming rivalry is only just heating up with his promising heat run, as they each seek to build towards securing the country’s first Olympic sprinting gold medal in Los Angeles 2028.
But the scary thing, as Gout ominously warned after cruising to his win in the under-20s division, was this was just the beginning, as he plots a greater boilover in Saturday’s finals at the Queensland Sport and Athletics Centre.
“I definitely have more in the tank. Last week was a great run, and I’m hoping to keep the same ambition [in Brisbane],” Gout said.
“Hopefully, the wind stays pretty calm, and anything’s possible. The body is feeling fine, I just did recovery this week getting ready for this week.
“It was a good run, definitely saved myself for finals. I can’t wait for tomorrow.”
The 100-metre semi-finals will begin from midday on Saturday, with the final expected to follow at 2.20pm.
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