“I think the limit is just obviously winning Olympics and winning world championships and just honestly dominating like Bolt did. So I think that’s a limit, a reachable for me.” said 17-year-old track and field sensation Gout Gout, whose bold ambition echoes the dominance of track legend Usain Bolt. Well, it’s not an empty dream. Gout is already doing things few teenagers ever have. Last year, he surpassed Usain Bolt’s U18 best—clocking 20.06 seconds in the 200m, faster than Bolt’s 20.13 at the same age. And this April, he set the track on fire at the Australian Championships, running 19.84 seconds with a +2.2 m/s tailwind. It was the fastest time ever recorded by an Australian over 200m—senior or junior. So it’s no surprise that respected track journalist Dan Clark called him “as promising as Bolt” and predicted he’d be an Olympic champion someday.
But now, a question is quietly circling the track world—and growing louder. If Gout is already running times fit for the global elite, why is he racing in a U23 event at the Monaco Diamond League on July 11, rather than lining up with the professionals?
To many, it feels like a contradiction. Back in 2003, a 16-year-old Usain Bolt was winning the World Youth Championships in Sherbrooke. By 2004, he was racing the Golden Spike Super Grand Prix and representing Jamaica at the Olympics, going head-to-head with the world’s best. Gout, meanwhile, will be tucked into the pre-programme U23 200m—a supporting act, not the main stage. However, the decision hasn’t gone unnoticed.
On May 9, NCAA star sprinter Erin Brown took to X to voice what many fans were thinking. In her now-viral post, she questioned the decision in blunt terms, saying, in effect: “What’s the point of going wayyy out there do to this B_! Ni___ just run with the pros in the regular 200! This the first time I seen a m_ sign a pro deal and become allergic to compete against pros.” It’s a fair question, though. Has Gout’s team opted for a slow-burn approach to his career—easing him into high-pressure races to preserve his long-term health and development? Or are they playing it too safe, holding back a young man who may already be ready to shake up the senior ranks?
What’s the point of going wayyy out there do to this BS! Nigga just run with the pros in the regular 200! This the first time I seen a mf sign a pro deal and become allergic to compete against pros https://t.co/bPWbNYCkes
— The Erin Brown (@TheErinBrown) May 9, 2025
The report is developing…
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