Olympic champ Letsile Tebogo backs 17-year-old Gout Gout to become a global sprinting star, urging patience and support.
Stars are born when raw talent is matched with relentless drive and in Gout Gout Australia may have found its next sprinting sensation.
The 17-year-old has quickly turned heads across the athletics world after breaking a national record that stood untouched for over 50 years.
Now, Gout is set to headline the Peter Norman Memorial 200m this Saturday at the Maurie Plant Meet in Melbourne where anticipation is building for one of the most exciting lineups in recent memory.
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Although Gout would be racing Olympic 200m champion Letsile Tebogo on the day — the Botswanan star entered in the 400m — the young Aussie has already earned high praise from the man who took gold in Paris with a blistering 19.46 seconds.
“He can be one of the best, he could be in the history books if he continues with the hunger that he has right now, he could go very far,” said Tebogo as per Guradian.
Back in December, Gout ran 20.04 seconds over 200m, erasing the name of Peter Norman from the national record books — a feat that not only stunned the Australian athletics community but also sent a clear message that a new era might be underway.
Still, Tebogo urged caution as at just 17, Gout is at a pivotal point in his career, and the Olympic champ believes careful management is crucial.
“My advice to his coach and people around him would be – even if he can beat these seniors on Saturday – don’t let him stay too much on the seniors, because everybody is watching,” Tebogo said.
“If he beats the seniors, what’s going to be next? So after this, back to his age [group] and slowly but surely, he will get there.”
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Gout’s main rival in the 200m will be Lachie Kennedy, now widely considered the country’s fastest man after a 10.03s 100m earlier this month.
Kennedy is eyeing the sub-10 barrier this weekend and hopes to test himself against the teenager who is already knocking on the door of the 19-second club.
“I just want to be able to see where I am compared to someone like Gout, who obviously is pretty much there when it comes to the 19-second barrier,” said Kennedy, who also holds a personal best of 21.19s in the 200m.
The 200m clash is just one of many highlights on a packed schedule. The men’s John Landy Memorial 1500m is shaping up as a big clash with the likes of Cameron Myers, Olli Hoare, Peter Bol, Adam Spencer and 15-year-old Kiwi star Sam Ruthe who recently became the youngest person ever to run a mile in under four minutes.
In the field, Eleanor Patterson returns to action in the women’s high jump just a week after claiming silver at the World Indoor Championships.
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Meanwhile, the women’s 1500m will feature a strong trio of Olympians in Linden Hall, Claudia Hollingsworth, and Abbey Caldwell.