Gout Gout can be in the history books, says Olympic champion Letsile Tebogo

MELBOURNE – Australian schoolboy sprinter Gout Gout can become one of the top track athletes in history but should not be rushed into competing with “hungry” senior rivals, Olympic 200 metres champion Letsile Tebogo said.

The 17-year-old has earned comparisons with Games legend Usain Bolt after eye-catching runs over the past year, including a wind-assisted 19.98 seconds in the 200m at the Queensland state championships in March.

Gout will run the 200m again at the Maurie Plant Meet in Melbourne on March 29, but there will be no showdown with Botswana’s Olympic champion as Tebogo eases into the season with a run in the 400m.

Tebogo is nonetheless interested to see how Gout performs in the open category after his dominance in junior events.

“He can be good enough, he can be one of the best, he can be in the history books,” he said in Melbourne on March 26. “If he continues the hunger that he has right now, he could go very far.

“His progression so far, I am impressed with how he is going with his age (events) and (now) a little bit of introduction into the senior category.”

Gout, the son of migrants from war-torn South Sudan, holds the fastest 200m time (20.05sec) in the world in 2025, albeit at a time when most sprinters are not competing outdoors.

His runs have generated huge excitement in Australia and a healthy crowd is expected at Lakeside Stadium on March 29 to see him compete.

But Tebogo, who upset American favourite Noah Lyles in the Olympic 200m final at Paris 2024, said Gout’s handlers need to be careful not to give him too much senior competition too soon.

“Just introduce him slowly to the seniors,” said the 21-year-old.

“Not every race against the seniors because with the seniors we are all hungry to get the money, the medals and everything. The best advice I was told was that Rome wasn’t built in a day.

“I couldn’t get the concept at first. I felt like I didn’t have competition but rather (my coach) knew what he was doing, protecting me against the seniors.”

Turning to his own progression, Tebogo said his 400m run would not be the start of a campaign to dominate the one-lap race and that he would focus on the 100m and 200m after the meet.

He said 2025 will be a “recovery season” after his Olympic breakthrough, but he is still hoping for medals at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo in September.

“It’s a tough one, but I believe I’ll make sure that they know they are not comfortable when I’m there,” he said.

“This is the recovery season for us, just to make sure that we are competing against them. Just making sure that we are there on the podium.” REUTERS