Gout, a promising 17-year-old sprinter from Australia, had a real nightmare over the last week at the World Athletics Championships in Budapest. Gout was the surprise semifinalist in the women’s 200 meters on Wednesday. Even with an outstanding personal best time of 20.36 seconds, fourth was not good enough to allow him back to race for the title. In order to qualify, he would have to run faster than 19.98 seconds. His personal record in that first round was 20.23 seconds.
Earlier this year, Gout Gout raced his way to a national record in the 200 meters. He pulled the unbelievable time of 20.02 seconds! He wants to become the first Australian to go under 20 seconds in this event. Consequently, he is respected and turning into a rising star of athletics. He’s been doing this since he was 12, training incredibly hard. His only aim – to be the youngest 200 meters world championships finalist ever.
After fierce battles in the semi-finals, we were down to two. Fellow athlete and close friend and mentor Noah Lyles showed master class technique. Hometown hero Noah Lyles clocked a remarkable 19.51 seconds in his semi-final heat. With the victory, he is now an overwhelming favorite to win his fourth-straight world championship.
While the injury was a disappointing experience, Gout Gout is looking positively toward his future in athletics. To my surprise, he told me that he was committed to doing much better and competing much harder in the next few years.
“I know that if I can do this at 17, then I can do this at 25 and I’ll be even better at 25,” – Gout Gout
While he did admit to the lessons learned during this unfortunate experience, he explained how this had done nothing but stoke his desire to succeed.
“The biggest eye-opener is knowing that I can compete at a young age against the best men in the world,” – Gout Gout
The path forward for Gout has encountered a number of important hurdles. He withstood ridicule from an American track and field media organization known as Citius Mag. The outlet posted an iconic photo of him on social media. They included the caption “OUT OUT” along with a blown mind emoji face to drive the point home. This ignited backlash from supporters who found the social media post in poor taste and offensive.
After all the mockery, Gout Gout got to thinking about his fierce athletic instincts and his childhood.
“It definitely makes me hungry, knowing that I’m just a kid right now, but knowing that I can compete as a kid,” – Gout Gout
He frequently noted that unlike most of his older competitors, he had time on his side. The thing I have on them, he declared, is time.
“They may not have 15 years … but I’ve got 15 years,” – Gout Gout
While failing to progress to the final may have been disappointing for Gout Gout, he remains focused on his long-term goals and ambitions. He acknowledged that not advancing “wasn’t in God’s plans today but I know that I will do it in the future.”
