"Closest to Usain Bolt"; "Going to beat Noah Lyles" - Fans react to 16-year-old sprinter Gout Gout winning 200m heats at World U20 championships

Australian sprinter Gout Gout produced an impressive performance in the 200m heats at the World U20 Championships as he clocked 20.77 seconds. The 16-year-old garnered attention from track fanatics and enthusiasts for his prowess on the track, which came days after he clocked 10.2s in the 100m.

Gout Gout, the 16-year-old Queensland native, competed in the 200m at the World U20 championships in Lima, Peru. His stellar time of 20.77s in the 200m heats advanced him to the next round, where he clocked a comfortable 21.07s to qualify for the finals.

In an X post, Gout Gout was seen flying to the 200m victory, leaving his rivals way behind at the World Athletics U20 Championships.

Track fans are hailing him for his run and comparing him to the track great Usain Bolt and reigning world champion Noah Lyles.

One fan claimed that the 16-year-old will defeat Lyles in a few years.

"He's going to beat Noah Lyles in a few years. Mark my words," the fan said.

Another fan drew a comparison of Gout with the track legend Usain Bolt, who clocked 20.13s at 16 and broke the 20s as a 17-year-old. The fan also noted the similarity in stride pattern and walk.

"This the closest thing to Usain I've seen. Same walk, stride pattern, slight rock of the body. This youth is gonna be special"

Here are some of the other reactions:

"Goat Goat. Remember the name," wrote a fan.

"What a name man he’s going straight to the top," tweeted a fan.

"This kid will soon be breaking 20 seconds well before his 20th birthday....scary times ahead," commented a fan.

"Uncanny resemblance to Usain," a fan said.

"It’s pretty cool because Usain Bolt is arguably the greatest athlete" - Gout Gout on comparisons with the Jamaican great

Gout Gout started his year with a then-100m personal best time of 10.29s at the Queensland Athletics Championships in Brisbane. His following 100m win came in Adelaide in April when he clocked 10.48 seconds.

The Queensland native, whose parents migrated to Australia from South Sudan before his birth, was happy to learn that fans compared him to Bolt.

"It’s pretty cool because Usain Bolt is arguably the greatest athlete of all time and just being compared to him is a great feeling. Obviously I’m Gout Gout so I’m trying make a name for myself. If I can get to the level he was that would be a great achievement," he said as quoted by The Sydney Morning Herald.

Besides Gout Gout's 200m finals performance, there will be eyes on Torrie Lewis, who qualified fastest for the women's 200m finals by clocking 23.14s.