Michael Johnson cautions against comparing teen sprint sensation Gout Gout to Usain Bolt, emphasizing patience, gradual development and avoiding excessive pressure.
Australian teen sensation Gout Gout has been making headlines since December, making his comparison with Usain Bolt inevitable.
Gout Gout, 16, defied the odds to smash the previous 200m record for his age, cutting the tape in 20.04 seconds during the Australian schools championships in December. It is the second fastest effort over the distance by anybody under 18. Erriyon Knighton posted 19.84 seconds as a 17-year-old in 2021.
Despite his meteoric rise, American sprint legend Michael Johnson believes it’s too early to start talking about Gout Gout in the same breath with Usain.
Johnson, the four-time Olympic champion, urged fans to desist the comparison in a discussion via talkSPORT saying: “There have been so many phenoms that have come up at 15, 16 years old and didn’t get to ultimately be best of all time or a gold medalist because it’s a very difficult sport.”
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“I’m always hesitant in talking about him because everybody’s talking about him right now. I’m hesitant to put more pressure on him. You know, that’s undue.”
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According to Johnson, Gout Gout needs to undertake his track career silently so as to achieve the dizzying heights Bolt witnessed. He added that sometimes putting too much pressure on junior athletes makes it difficult for them to deliver.
“Let him just go out there and keep having fun and develop quietly. And that’s where he will have his best chance. He’s compared to Usain Bolt a lot. You know, a lot of people don’t know this that Usain Bolt was in the 2004 Olympics. Didn’t win, didn’t make the final.
“But ultimately he went through the Olympics. He did OK, right? He ultimately ended up being the greatest of all time, full stop, bar none. He’s the greatest.
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“It’s a journey. So you don’t want to put too much pressure on this young kid, but he is a phenomenal talent. I’d like to see him just continue to be able to quietly and slowly develop into this because it’s a very difficult sport.”
Gout’ time of 10.04 seconds in 100m is another reason the comparison with Usain Bolt stems from. One thing for sure, Gout is a rare breed but it remains to be seen if he had the intestinal fortitude to become the greatest sprinters in history.
