Earlier this year, Gout broke Bolt’s under-17s world junior championships record for the 200m when he ran second in the final of the same competition, in Peru (the runner who beat him was 18 months older than Gout).
Loading
“I just knew he [Bolt] won back in the day, but I didn’t know what time or like how he did it, but one of the news articles said I did it. And I was like, ‘Wow, that’s pretty cool’,” Gout, speaking about the record-breaking run from earlier this year, told this masthead last week.
“I do see it [the Bolt similarity],” he said. “My stride length is pretty long, my knee height is pretty high and just the amount of tallness I get when I’m running.”
But he takes “the Bolt stuff” with a grain of salt.
“I’m just me trying to be me, trying to be Gout Gout. 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.”
News, results and expert analysis from the weekend of sport are sent every Monday. Sign up for our Sport newsletter.