Gout Gout Says He Is ‘ready To Rumble’ Ahead Of World Athletics Championships Debut

Australian teenage sprint arena Gout Gout has declared his legs are “ready to rumble” up of his awesome world debut connected Wednesday astatine nan World Athletics Championships.

The 17-year-old participated successful a sheet convention pinch world property connected Monday, his only pre-meet media opportunity, arsenic he prepares to title nan 200m successful Tokyo. Gout was asked what his legs would show him if they could talk.

“They’ll beryllium fresh to go, for illustration successful F1 erstwhile nan cars are warming up nan tyres,” he said, making a swerving motion pinch his hands. “They’ll beryllium conscionable … fresh to rumble, that’s what they’d say.”

The assured teen admitted he does person immoderate nerves up of his awesome world debut.

“[I have] a fewer butterflies [in my stomach], but I’ve done nan activity to beryllium here, truthful it’s conscionable going retired location and executing nan title plan,” he said. “It’s going retired there, having a small spot of nosy and conscionable focusing nan champion I tin and conscionable going retired location and enjoying my first experience.”

He said he has been starstruck astatine times erstwhile he comes crossed nan world’s apical diversion talent astir him successful Tokyo.

“I’m seeing these athletes I’ve seen connected TV my full life. I’m like, this is crazy,” he said. “But erstwhile I deliberation astir it, I benignant of merit this spot and I person tally nan times, truthful I was meant to beryllium present for sure.”

He explained his main extremity was to amended connected his individual champion clip of 20.02sec.

“Hopefully if I tin make it to nan semis, that’s moreover greater, and past if I make it into nan last that’s a large success,” he said.

The twelvemonth 12 student said he was considering studying psychology astatine university, possibly aft a spread year, and was astir willing successful its exertion to sport.

He revealed he has been moving connected his mindset to guarantee he performs to his expertise successful Tokyo.

“Just telling myself that I merit to beryllium here, I’m successful nan aforesaid vessel arsenic everyone else,” he said. “Not trying to put excessively overmuch unit connected myself, but putting capable unit wherever I tin spell retired location and conscionable tally very accelerated and conscionable really person nosy pinch it.”

The Australian said he has appreciated learning from Noah Lyles, nan American sprinter who shares nan aforesaid sponsor.

“The proposal Noah gave maine is ‘learn really to opportunity no’ because evidently you can’t opportunity yes each nan time, truthful learning really to opportunity no,” he said.

“It mightiness make you consciousness uncomfortable, [but] you don’t person to explicate yourself arsenic well, because being an jock you’re going done different stages successful life, and you’ve sewage to opportunity nary because you’ve sewage to person your ain individual time.”