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Matthew Hudson-Smith, who clinched silver at the 2024 Olympic games in the 400 meters, has sent Australian wonderkid Gout Gout important advice amid 'new Usain Bolt' tag.
British Olympic silver medalist Matthew Hudson-Smith has urged Australian sprint sensation Gout Gout to temper expectations and focus on enjoying his meteoric rise, rather than succumbing to the mounting comparisons with Usain Bolt.
Gout, just 16 years old, has become one of the most talked-about athletes , rewriting the history books with his jaw-dropping performances IN 2024. At the Australian All Schools Championships in Brisbane, Gout clocked an astonishing 20.04 seconds in the 200m final, shattering records and igniting excitement among athletics fans.
Gout's historic run not only broke Peter Norman’s long-standing Australian national record of 20.06 seconds, set at the 1968 Olympics, but also earned him the Oceanian Area Record. The feat crowned Gout as the fastest 16-year-old 200m runner in history, eclipsing Usain Bolt’s age-group record of 20.13 seconds.
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The teenager’s achievements have naturally sparked comparisons to Bolt, the eight-time Olympic champion and global sprinting legend. However, Hudson-Smith believes such parallels may be premature and potentially burdensome for the young sprinter.
Speaking on RunnnSphere, Hudson,-Smith shared candid advice for Gout, urging him to embrace the joy of the sport rather than letting pressure derail his development.
“Don’t listen to the pressure. Everyone is comparing him to Bolt, and I think it is premature,” Hudson-Smith remarked. “He ran 20.0, and it is an amazing time, but when you get to professional ranks, that time is not getting you to the final.”
The 400m specialist emphasized the stark difference between running fast times as a teenager and competing against world-class athletes like Botswana’s Letsile Tebogo or American star Noah Lyles.
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“It’s very different running 20.0 or 21 by yourself, but running against Tebogo or Lyles is different pressure. Then people will say, ‘You’re running these times and not winning medals,’” Hudson-Smith warned.
Hudson-Smith encouraged Gout to relish the freedom of his youth, reminding him that professional responsibilities and pressures will come soon enough.
“Just enjoy it, man. You’re 16 or 17. Remember why you got into the sport. Do not take it as a job right now. Have fun with it,” he advised.
“There’s going to be a time when you get to my age, and you have a mortgage and all these responsibilities. Right now, you’re stress-free, and that is dangerous to an athlete.”
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Justin Gatlin has backed countryman Noah Lyles over his controversial trashing of the 200 meter race after claiming 'no one cares' about the event.
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