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Adidas saw more than just speed in Gout Gout, they saw the spark of a future star, one that once defined Usain Bolt.
Gout Gout has been making headlines for his sprinting prowess at such a young age and what most people also forget is that he signed a lucrative deal with Adidas at just 16 years old.
That does not happen more often and in an interview with the World Wide of Sports, the man behind Gout Gout signing with the giant brand, Spencer Nel, has opened up about the one quality that stood out for him.
Spencer Nel is Adidas’ head of track and field marketing and is basically responsible for scouting for potential talent for the German brand.
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Spencer Nel believes there is no doubt about Gout Gout being likened to Usain Bolt since it is something he has also seen. At the 2013 World Championships in Moscow, Usain Bolt pretended to pop up an umbrella when it was drizzling.
"It started raining right before the race was about to go and he pretended to open an umbrella. And I see that in him. The schoolboy's speed is frightening, and his personality priceless,” he said.
Gout Gout will be competing at the Australian championships in Perth this week, trying his luck in the under-20 division in the 100m and the open field in the 200m where he goes up against Lachlan Kennedy once again.
Spencer Nel on what sets Gout Gout apart
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Spencer Nel has an eye for talent for sure and in his 28 years at Adidas, he has worked with some of the greatest athletes including 800m world record holder David Rudisha, Tyson Gay, Yohan Blake, Noah Lyles, Haile Gebrselassie, Allyson Felix and Sally Pearson.
He also wanted to put Usain Bolt on board twice but things did not go as planned as Puma stepped up on both occasions. That happened in 2003 when Usain Bolt was 16 and in 2010.
Spencer Nel now heard of the new Usain Bolt and wanted to see what he would bring to the table. Nel and Gout Gout first met at the World Under-20 Championships in Peru, Lima last August.
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"First and foremost, he is a prodigious talent. First and foremost, that is what you look for when you're scouting for the next generation. The talent needs to be there, which it clearly is in abundance," Nel said.
Spencer Nel added that Gout Gout interacts with people respectfully, something that made him a point of interest for Adidas beyond his talent.
He added that the world under-20 200m silver medallist checked their boxes and they went ahead to sign without a second thought.
"And then you inadvertently get to spend time with the athlete and you see how they interact with other individuals, [like] flight staff and people picking them up and hotel staff, and then you're in the warm-up area and you see how an athlete interacts with other athletes and with his or her coach, and that gives you an inkling as to their personality,” Nel added.
"Gout is such a laidback individual and he's very respectful. You observe and you get an impression of an athlete in different scenarios, and you think, 'This is someone we want to be associated with as a brand'.”
Gout Gout dealing with the media hype
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When Gout Gout lost the 200m at the Maurie Plant Meet in Melbourne, Spencer Nel revealed that he was surprised by how he handled himself.
Going into the race, the crowd was chanting his name and he was confident of making a mark but he was forced to finish second behind Lachlan Kennedy.
"There was a tonne of media hype around him at Melbourne's Maurie Plant Meet, and I thought on that particular day there was probably the biggest media interest around him thus far. I thought he handled it really well,” Nel added.
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“He remained calm. He was disappointed but was still reacting to the crowd and giving kids the time for autographs and photographs, and he congratulated Kennedy."
In a world where talent often shines but character can be fleeting, Gout Gout is proving to be the rare combination of both.
As Spencer Nel and Adidas have recognised, Gout Gout is more than just a young athlete with a blistering pace, he is a future ambassador for the sport.
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