Standout teenage sprinter seems like a star within the making, however let’s give him room to develop moderately than piling on the strain, writes Katharine Merry
Even earlier than this yr began, we got another excuse to get enthusiastic about what may lie forward for the game of athletics. He may solely not too long ago have celebrated his seventeenth birthday however already Gout Gout has nicely and actually made headline information.
In case you haven’t heard, this son of South Sudanese dad and mom who was born in Brisbane has been placing in some scorching performances in his homeland. On the Australian All Faculties Athletics Championships in December he ran a wind-assisted 10.04 within the 100m heats, the fourth-fastest time in historical past for an below 18. His authorized time of 10.17 in successful the ultimate by the proverbial nation mile put him sixth on the all-time checklist.
His subsequent efficiency within the 200m, breaking Peter Norman’s 56-year-old nationwide report of 20.07 – set in the course of the Black Energy salute remaining on the 1968 Olympics – with a run of 20.04 induced much more of a stir.
Fairly rightly, everyone seems to be getting very enthusiastic about him and, predictably, the comparisons with Usain Bolt have flooded in. Even the good man himself has famous the similarities. Initially, there are the speedy instances, however his approach is analogous too and he’s additionally tall, skinny and gangly, because the younger Bolt was, plus he’s doing what Usain did in ripping up the report books.
Gout Gout (Getty)
I’ve been massively impressed by the footage of Gout’s wins and his velocity in a straight line, flying away from the opposition within the closing levels, is totally phenomenal. To my eye, his fashion seems fairly sound technically and if you add in the truth that he’s a good starter too then he’s arriving within the highlight from a really, excellent place.
He’s nonetheless a way in need of the completed article, although, and there may be a lot growth for him to undergo. One space I feel he must tidy up on is working the bend within the 200m. He’s 6ft 2in in the mean time and he hasn’t stopped rising but. Working the bend isn’t a straightforward factor to do if you’re tall and from what I’ve seen it seems like he’s going to should study to barter it as finest he can in races, moderately than with the ability to bulldoze his approach by it within the method that an athlete of shorter stature with a decrease centre of gravity may be capable of.
Michael Norman is a rarity in being tall but additionally being able to run his bends in a approach that’s tidy and compact however nonetheless fast. I feel if Gout can observe that instance and tidy that space up just a little then it’s going to make a distinction – however it’s going to come over time, by expertise and elevated energy.
Gout appears to have an excellent help community already within the type of his coach Di Sheppard, who has achieved an excellent job thus far, and his supervisor James Templeton. He’s not attributable to race once more till March, too, so I’m actually happy to see that he isn’t being rushed.
Gout Gout, Bayanda Walaza, Jake Odey-Jordan (World Athletics)
I’m very enthusiastic about what Gout could be able to however, as with all younger athlete rising on to the scene, I’ve to sound a notice of warning. We’ve been right here earlier than – what number of athletes have been dubbed ‘the subsequent Bolt’ in recent times? – so let’s not get carried away and heap a lot of strain on to his teenage shoulders earlier than his profession has even actually bought out of the beginning blocks.
I’ll say, although, that his performances have been nice at bringing a little bit of media consideration again in the direction of athletics throughout what’s a quieter time of yr on the monitor. When the stadium doorways are closed in Europe and the indoor season is but to get totally underway, it has been incredible to see the game within the information and for such constructive causes. Right here’s hoping Gout can journey that wave of positivity.
Already that is turning into an attention-grabbing yr for athletics. We now have the World Championships as the principle occasion – and who isn’t wanting ahead to seeing that Tokyo Olympic Stadium stuffed with spectators ultimately? It will likely be very completely different from once I was there stadium asserting on the delayed Olympics, commentating in a masks and dropping off a Covid check each morning on the stadium gates!
But it surely seems like the broader panorama is about to start out shifting. This yr we’ll get our first style of Michael Johnson’s Grand Slam Monitor enterprise that has been attracting so many large names and appears set to supply what I feel is a few wholesome competitors to the Diamond League.
I do know Michael has are available for some criticism about there being no area occasions concerned within the sequence, however I’ve sympathy for him on this regard. He’s sticking to what he is aware of and really placing his head above the parapet, attempting to do one thing completely different and take the game ahead. He’s damned if he does and damned if he doesn’t.
World Athletics wish to put innovation entrance and centre, too, and I don’t have an issue with that, so long as it’s some tinkering and experimentation moderately than main surgical procedure. There’ll at all times be individuals who don’t like change however my view is that the core of the game is at all times going to be there and can nonetheless be the muse stone. It’s not like we’re about to start out working the 350m at main championships, for instance!
At its coronary heart, athletics continues to be going to be the identical so let’s hope that we’ll have lots to look again on with delight come the shut of 2025.
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