US sprint star Christian Coleman is as excited as anyone about Gout Gout’s potential, but wants comparisons between Australia’s teenaged sensation and Jamaican legend Usain Bolt to end.
Gout, the 200m national record holder, is already an international hit and is bypassing this year’s Commonwealth Games for a crack at the Under-20 world championships, where Bolt rose to prominence more than two decades ago.
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Bolt sent hype around Gout into overdrive last year when he said the 18-year-old’s talent is “the same thing” he had at a similar age, while also warning him about the challenges of transitioning into senior athletics.
But Coleman — the fastest man the world has ever seen over 60m, who is in Australia to compete at the Stawell Gift over the Easter weekend — wants Gout to be allowed to flourish without the burden of being likened to Bolt.
“I will say I hate the fact that a lot of times they compare him to Bolt and say he will be the next one or whatever,” Coleman said.
“I think that he will just be Gout Gout. He’ll just be himself.
“I’m excited to see what he does.”
Gout, who set the Australian 200m record with a career-best time of 20.02 seconds in the Czech Republic last June, is focused on building strength to improve his starts with an eye towards even greater achievements.
Few are better placed to offer advice than former 100m world champion Coleman, whose 60m world record stands a 6.34 seconds.
Coleman said the key to Gout’s improvement on the start line would lie in persistence and attention to detail in training.
“It’s one of those things where you just have to keep working at it,” Coleman said.
“In the sport of track and field we are trying to get better by milliseconds at a time and you are trying to do something not drastically different, but you definitely have to switch things up to get a better result.
“So for him, he is a great talent, and I am excited to see just how his career flourishes and where he can take the sport.”
Coleman is aiming to become just the third man in the 144-year history of the Stawell Gift to win from scratch, and noted Gout was a backmarker when he was eliminated in the semi-finals last year.
He said watching vision of Gout competing in the famed 120m handicap race helped convince him to take part this year.
The 30-year-old also sought advice from American hurdler and two-time Olympian Devon Allen, who suffered a Stawell Gift semi-final exit when he competed in 2018.
“I know I’m up against a daunting task but I feel good and I’m a competitor, so I’m going to give it everything I’ve got,” Coleman said.
“When I first heard about it I had to do my research on how the handicaps even get set up and everything, but it all makes sense.
“I like my chances when we get out there.”
Coleman will need to adapt to a new environment.
He has not raced professionally on grass or with lane ropes – a traditional feature at Central Park – let alone in a small country town in Victoria’s Wimmera region.
“The whole experience is very unique,” Coleman said.
“I’m just excited to embrace it and keep learning more about the history of the event, and just be immersed in the culture of the Stawell Gift.”
