"The greater the potential, the higher the risk" - Michael Johnson makes his thoughts clear about 16-year-old Gout Gout who broke Usain Bolt's record

Gout Gout continues to mesmerize many with his performances on the track. The Australian sprinter of Sudanese origin recently broke the 56-year-old national record of Olympic silver medalist Peter Norman at the Australian School Championships, and Michael Johnson couldn't help himself but be impressed by his potential.

The sprinting legend took to his X handle to express his thoughts on Gout's ability in the future. He wrote,

"Great performances! Fun to think about his potential. But even with such great potential, realizing it is a whole different thing. The greater the potential, the higher the risk. He’ll need a solid team around him to help him navigate the journey."

Johnson also expressed his awe at the fact that it was Gout who broke his idol's record. He wrote in another post on X,

"Peter Norman was one of my heroes. Hard to believe no Australian had runner faster than 20.06 over the last 56 years!"

Interestingly, it is not only Johnson who is concerned about the potential of Gout as an athlete. A few months ago, former Olympic champion Justin Gatlin also talked about his potential, as he remarked,

"Stop putting these young athletes on a path that comes with a lot of stress, comes with a lot of pressure. Let them go out there and develop themselves.. Let this man figure out how he want to be successful. Let the man do what he want to do."

Gout Gout had previously smashed the Under 18 records in the 100m event. His best timing was 10.04 seconds recorded at the recently concluded Australian All-Schools Championships held in Brisbane.

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Gout Gout on comparison with Usain Bolt

Gout Gout on comparison with Usain Bolt [Image Source : Getty Images]

Due to his knack of breaking records, Gout Gout has been often compared with Usain Bolt. He broke the Jamaican's record of being the fastest 16-year-old in 200m. Bolt also expressed his thoughts on the Australian sprinter's achievements, saying that Gout reminded him of his younger self.

Gout, however, is in no hurry to break all the records in one go. In an interview with Fox Sports, he remarked:

"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.”

In another interview to the Sydney Morning Herald, Gout also expressed his thoughts on the comparisons with the Jamaican sprinting legend Usain Bolt. In his words,

"I do see it. My stride length is pretty long, my knee height is pretty high and just the amount of tallness I get when I'm running. I'm just me trying to be me. Obviously, I do run like him. I do sometimes look like him, but obviously I'm making a name for myself, and I think I've done that pretty well. I just want to continue doing that and continue to be not only Usain Bolt but continue to be Gout Gout."

Gout Gout finished second to Bayanda Walaza at the World Athletics U20 Championships in the 200m finals, held at Lima in Peru in August 2024. He is aiming to make a breakthrough at the senior level by the 2025 season.