Gout, who is regarded as one of the world’s quickest young athletes, has attracted the attention of the top professionals in the industry with a string of incredible feats in recent months.
Gout “looks like young me,” as sprint legend Usain Bolt once remarked. Now, Tebogo, who defeated Noah Lyles to win the gold medal in the 200m at Paris 2024, has added his voice to the conversation.
“His running style is excellent,” Tebogo told reporters prior to this week’s Maurie Plant Meet in Melbourne.
When Gout raced the 100 meters in 10.57 seconds as a 14-year-old in 2022, he made waves. However, he gained even greater notice last year when he ran the 200 meters in 20.60 seconds at the World Athletics U20 Championships, which was 0.01 seconds quicker than a 15-year-old Bolt did in 2002.
He has maintained his impressive form into the season, setting a world record in the 200-meter event earlier this month with a timing of 20.05 seconds, which was only 0.01 seconds slower than his own Australian record set in December.
Then, in the Queensland State Championships under-20 200m final, he ran 19.98 seconds, becoming the first Australian to ever break the 20-second mark. However, due to illegal wind conditions (+3.6 m/s), the timing will not be recognized as an official record.
Tebogo will instead put himself to the test in the 400-meter event, thus the adolescent will not be competing against him.
Tebogo continued, “He can be among the best, he can be in the history books.” “He has a lot of potential if he keeps up his current level of hunger.”
Tebogo has cautioned Gout and his group to proceed cautiously and not jump right into senior tour racing.
Rome was not built in a day, and that was the best counsel I ever received. At first, I did not get the idea,” the 21-year-old remarked.
