Usain Bolt's successor causes a stir at European tournament

(Dan Tri) - 17-year-old track and field athlete, Gout Gout, who is considered the successor of Usain Bolt, is making a strong impression at the European Championship taking place in the Czech Republic.

Usain Bolt's successor causes a stir at European tournament

Young Australian track talent Gout Gout had a brilliant performance at the Ostrava Golden Spike in the Czech Republic on June 23. He just achieved a time of 20.02 seconds in the 200m race. Without the help of the wind, Gout accelerated in the last 20m to surpass his Cuban opponent Reynier Mena.

Gout Gout's lightning-fast running steps (Photo: Reuters).

This achievement helped Gout break the national record he set last December (20.04 seconds). Before that, he broke the record of Australian track and field legend Peter Norman, which had existed since the 1968 Olympics.

The current world record for the 200m race belongs to track and field legend Usain Bolt, who set a time of 19.19 seconds at the world championships in Berlin (Germany) in 2009.

At the age of 17, Gout stunned the athletics world by achieving this impressive feat in his first professional competition. This was also his first time competing in Europe.

Speaking after the race, Gout was optimistic: “I just need to participate in a few more tournaments to break the 20-second mark. Today, I set a new personal record, a new national record and it was my first time competing in Europe. I don’t feel any pressure. When I go out on the track, I’m the only one with the sole task of running. And that’s what I love the most.”

Gout said he had been feeling fresh in recent training sessions and had been in good form since arriving in Europe last week. The 17-year-old prodigy added: “I knew Mena would accelerate strongly in the first 100m. I was confident I was close enough to break away at the end. That’s my strength. I felt calm and still strong going into the decisive corner. I was sure I had the strength to finish first.”

The achievement has drawn further comparisons between Gout and the legendary Usain Bolt, who ran 19.93 seconds in the 200m just before his 18th birthday. Gout is still a few months away from turning 18 (he was born on December 29). Interestingly, he also set the record in the same place where Bolt made his European debut.

Gout achieved a time of 20.02 seconds in the 200m run when he was only 17 years old (Photo: Reuters).

Many people call Gout the successor of Bolt. Although this is his first time competing in Europe, he has been noticed by the press for a long time. Gout once broke the world record in the under-16 age group that Bolt once held. If he develops in the right direction, Gout could become the second Bolt in the athletics world.

The 17-year-old Australian athlete is preparing hard for the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo (Japan) in September. Further, he really wants to conquer the peak at the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles (USA) and the 2032 Olympics in his hometown Brisbane (Australia).

World Athletics praised Gout's performance on social media, calling it "a dream debut in Europe" and noting that it was Gout's first time competing at an international professional level.

Although Gout had previously clocked 19.84 seconds in the 200m in April, that result was disallowed due to excessive wind. As a result, the 20.02 second mark in Ostrava is Gout's best ever recorded.

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/the-thao/truyen-nhan-cua-usain-bolt-gay-chan-dong-o-giai-chau-au-20250625124050946.htm