Australian sprint sensation Gout Gout has once again made headlines, breaking his own national 200m record with a blistering 20.02-second run at the Ostrava Golden Spike meet in the Czech Republic .
The 17-year-old outpaced fellow seasoned competitors, including Cuba’s Reynier Mena, and also surpassed Usain Bolt’s debut time at the same meet in 2006 .
So, is Gout Gout the next Usain Bolt?
On Wednesday afternoon’s episode of The Briefing, we sat down with Flinders University movement scientist Dr Dylan Hicks to explore the science behind Gout’s incredible speed, and whether he could become the world’s fastest man.
“It’s a confidence booster for not only Gout but his coach and the team to think that they’ve got another race in Europe and then come home to regroup and reload before the world championships in Tokyo,” Dr Hicks said.
He said that Gout took a “really small amount of strides” compared to other athletes, making him cover the ground without losing any speed.
Gout’s ascent began with breaking Peter Norman’s long-standing national 200m record, and he has since consistently improved his times .
Over a seven month period, he won silver in the 200 metre at the World Junior Championships.
Gout also broke Peter Norman’s long standing Australian 200 metre record. Meanwhile in Brisbane, he smashed through the magical 20 second barrier for the 200 metre race, recording a world leading 19.98 seconds.
“He’s probably going to make the World Championships final, in my opinion. I think he’s got the goods to be able to do that.”
Gout’s next appearance is scheduled at the Diamond League in Monaco on July 11.