Australian teenage sprint sensation Gout Gout stated on Sunday that he favors the 200-meter dash over the 100-meter event, which he finds “too short,” as he gets ready for his first competition in Europe.
The 17-year-old made headlines in April by winning the Australian Athletic Championships, posting times of 19.84 seconds in the 200 meters and 9.99 seconds in the 100 meters. Both of these impressive times, however, were recorded with a tailwind exceeding the legal limit.
Gout is now set to compete in the 200 meters at the Golden Spike meet in Ostrava, Czech Republic, on Tuesday, marking his European debut.
Rising Prominence and Future Plans
Gout gained significant attention last December when he ran the fastest 200m time ever by a 16-year-old, clocking 20.04 seconds. This remarkable performance surpassed even Usain Bolt’s personal best at the same age. The tall sprinter embraced comparisons to Bolt, whom he described as “the epitome of sprinting.”
Following the Australian championships, Gout dedicated his time to training rather than competing. In an interview with Reuters, he explained, “We did a lot of work on my starts and just to get stronger overall for the Europe season… I’m just building up my strength and just really trying to get in the gym and get to the next level for sure. I’m excited to run again after a long time.”
After his Ostrava appearance, Gout is scheduled to compete at the Diamond League in Monaco on July 11, with his sights set on the World Championships in Tokyo this September.
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