Seb Coe has advised Gout Gout’s management to carefully navigate his rising sprinting career.
World Athletics boss Sebastian Coe has shared wise counsel with Gout Gout’s management on how best to protect him to ensure he enjoys the sport long enough.
At 16, the Australian youngster had already started making waves and at the Australian All Schools Championships in Brisbane in 2024, the World Under-20 200m silver medallist clocked an impressive 20.04 seconds to win the 200m.
His fast time broke Peter Norman’s Oceanian record of 20.06 seconds and bettered Usain Bolt’s world age-16 best of 20.13 seconds, set back in 2003.
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Seb Coe believes that there are more dangers than advantages to an athlete as young as he is breaking into the limelight. He has to be on the lookout for injuries and other factors that might plague his career.
He explained that there is no doubt that tough times are ahead and his management should be keen on ensuring he is ready for those times instead of putting a lot of pressure on him to deliver at the moment.
Seb Coe urged Gout Gout’s team to protect his mental health and ensure that he is physically safe guarded to avoid injuries in the future and with that, Australia will be assured of having a global sensation in the world of sprinting.
“He is an outstanding talent but again, I use words of caution here because what you are doing at the age of 16, however talented and extraordinary, I also want to make sure, my hope that those who have a responsibility for navigating and choreographing his career also know that the hard years are still ahead,” Seb Coe cautioned in an interview with ABC Sport.
“If that is navigated carefully and he remains uninjured and mentally in decent shape, and you’ve got a coaching team and a federation that can to the best of their ability reduce some of those external pressures, you have an outstanding prospect.”
Meanwhile, Gout Gout has already made huge milestones, turning professional and signing with Adidas last season.
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He also got a chance to train alongside Noah Lyles, the reigning Olympic champion who is also signed with the giant brand.
This season, Gout Gout has sights on making the cut to the World Championships in Tokyo, Japan where he hopes to impress by competing against the likes of Noah Lyles, and Letsile Tebogo among other top sprinters.
