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Gout Gout has been tipped to have a bright future in sprints and his coach Di Sheppard explains how she spotted the talented 16-year-old.
Gout Gout's coach Di Sheppard has opened up about the unique attributes that she saw on the talented athlete that convinced her of his world-class potential.
The son of South Sudanese immigrants, the 16-year-old was born near Brisbane two years after his parents settled in Queensland as the third of seven children. A student of Ipswich Grammar School, it wasn’t long before coach Di Sheppard identified an athlete of sky-high potential.
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10:32 - 18.12.2024
'Huge part of it' - World Athletics president sounds note of caution for those backing Aussie star Gout Gout to beat Usain Bolt's records
Sebastian Coe admits Gout Gout is a huge talent but warned against predicting the Australian teen sensation to break Usain Bolt's records since he's only getting started in his career.
“I saw him running on the oval and there was just something about him and the way he moved,” she recalled of first seeing Gout as a 13-year-old in The Guardian.
"I couldn’t pinpoint it, but gut instinct just screamed at me: who’s that kid?" she reiterated.
Gout's latest record-breaking exploits have marked him out as a potential superstar of the sport in the men’s ranks. Still only 16, Gout entered the 2024 Australian All Schools Athletics Championships in Queensland as the headline attraction, an individual whose reputation belies his youth.
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12:00 - 17.12.2024
'He's not going to know those demons'- Justin Gatlin urges Gout Gout's team to stay vigilant
Justin Gatlin urges those close to rising sprint star Gout Gout to protect him from harmful influences as he navigates early success on the global stage.
Gout surged to a wind-assisted 10.04secs, the fourth fastest time in history for an under 18 achieved 13 months before the teenager enters adulthood.
Gout snatched the 200m mark with a sensational run on December 7. His run of 20.04 seconds took Peter Norman’s 56-year record of 20.07 seconds before Gout collapsed on his back in celebration when his new time was confirmed.
Gout’s new shiny personal best would have seen him finish fifth in the senior World Championships in Budapest last year, making his astonishing rise even more impressive with his best years ahead.
He has been compared to the Jamaican sprinting legend Usain Bolt whose records in 100m and 200m are yet to be broken, seven years after retirement.
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