Gout Gout's true colours on show with six-word mantra after Usain Bolt statement

Daily Mirror

6 hours ago

Gout Gout has taken the athletics world by storm since he rose to international acclaim in 2024, and a message on his phone's wallpaper is indicative of his sprinting aspirations
Australian sprint sensation Gout Gout keeps his Olympic ambitions close at hand with a distinct motivational message as his phone's wallpaper. Since he was 15, Gout has been smashing national records and turned heads this March with a scorching 19.98 in the 200m at the Queensland Athletics Championships.
The teenager then claimed the Australian 200m crown in April, although his sub-20-second runs weren't officially recorded due to an overly helpful tailwind. He does, however, hold the national record of 20.04.
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Gout also cracked the 10-second mark in the 100m the same month, which was another wind-assisted feat but a clear indication of his burgeoning prowess. The 17-year-old has since captured international attention, sparking conversations about possible Olympic success.
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With sights set on competing among the world's elite at the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles, Gout is gunning for gold, especially as the Games will come to his home country in 2032.
Talking to GQ, Gout shared the six-word motivational mantra that he sees each day and adorns his phone screen: "You're going to be Olympic champion."
Coming off the back of Noah Lyles' gold-winning performance of 9.79 in the 2024 Olympics, the stakes are high for young Gout who, at just 20 years old by LA 2028, could be setting the track alight, reports the Mirror US.
Gout has not only set his sights on becoming an Olympic champion, but also dreams of dominating the track scene like the famed 100m and 200m world record holder, Usain Bolt
"I think the limit is just obviously winning Olympics and winning world championships and honestly dominating like Bolt did," Gout shared with FOX Sports Australia. "I think that limit is reachable for me.
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"The times I've run so far could potentially make it into [Olympic] finals, make the top four, top five, top six. Just getting better and aiming for LA obviously would be a great achievement," he added.
"[Just] trying to be on that podium running against [Letsile] Tebogo, Noah [Lyles], [Lachlan] Kennedy, all them athletes. That's definitely a goal of mine and to keep aiming for the top."
However, Gout's coach, Di Sheppard, has cautioned the young athlete that achieving his goals will require sacrifice and acceptance that his talents will eventually plateau.
"I've been telling him for a couple of years that when we get to a set point, your social life will be pretty much non-existent, in the sense you just can't go out where you want," she told The Guardian.
"He's at that point pretty much now, which is kind of tough when you think he's still at school. Things will plateau, that's a natural part. It has to come to a 'Bang, OK, now we've got to find our next adaptation phase to go up.'
"For us to go to the top – we're still a long way from there – and because we know that's our end goal, we don't get too wrapped up in the good things that come. They're stepping stones, and that's how I've tried to teach Gout. There's no clear path up."