‘i Hope It Doesn’t Get Him Down’: Usain Bolt Tells Gout Gout To Get Ready To Lose

Like moving fast, increasing pains are thing sprint lord Usain Bolt knows thing about. So erstwhile he tells teenage arena Gout Gout that his first steps into nan world of elder athletics will not beryllium easy, nan Australian ought to return heed.

“I cognize it’s going to beryllium an eye-opener,” Bolt told CNN of Gout’s first twelvemonth arsenic an adult, and an impending succession of showdowns against nan world’s champion sprinters. “And I dream it doesn’t get him down, but motivate him to activity moreover harder.”

Bolt showed immense committedness arsenic a teenager, winning nan world juniors arsenic a 15-year-old, but it was not until he overcame wounded struggles and off-track distractions that he was capable to go a world beater, erstwhile he won golden successful Beijing arsenic a 21-year-old.

Gout, 18, has already tally 200m faster than Bolt did arsenic a teenager. Having had a sensation for elder world title past twelvemonth astatine nan World Championships successful Tokyo, nan Australian has lined up an array of races successful 2026 against nan likes of Americans Noah Lyles and Kenny Bednarek, and Olympic champion Letsile Tebogo.

It will beryllium a twelvemonth of monolithic alteration for Gout, who turned 18 and vanished precocious schoolhouse successful December.

Bolt predicts nan modulation will not each beryllium smooth. “I deliberation successful nan first twelvemonth you will study a batch and understand what you request to do to beryllium better,” he said.

Gout has raced chiefly successful inferior competitions truthful far, pinch nan objection of a fistful of big 200m outings. He sewage a sensation for nan Diamond League successful Monaco past year, but only successful an under-23 race.

In 2026, his attraction is connected golden astatine nan world juniors successful August, but earlier past he plans to return connected nan champion adults complete 200m successful prestigious meets successful Oslo and Prefontaine, arsenic good arsenic a 150m against Noah Lyles successful Ostrava.

“For me, [moving to seniors was] truthful big, it’s wholly different,” Bolt said. “I retrieve coming retired of precocious school, going connected nan circuit, I felt for illustration I was connected apical of nan world because I besides was winning and moving good, and erstwhile I sewage connected nan circuit, I didn’t triumph 1 race.”

Jamaican erstwhile sprinter Usain Bolt says Gout Gout ‘finds nan correct people’ to situation him. Photograph: Salvatore Di Nolfi/AP

Handling defeat, according to Bolt, will beryllium conscionable arsenic important for Gout arsenic improving his commencement aliases building musculus successful nan gym.

“The unit that comes pinch it, is not going to beryllium easy because each clip you measurement connected that track, everybody’s going to beryllium ever looking for a accelerated time, ever looking for you to do great.

“So hopefully he has nan correct group to thief him to understand that not each time is going to beryllium a awesome day. Not each clip you run, you’re going to win. It’s each astir conscionable learning correct now astatine a young age, learning and figuring retired really tin I get better, really tin I move forward.”

Gout has retained his halfway squad of advisers, which includes long-time coach Di Sheppard and head James Templeton.

Bolt, now 39, said nan power of those astir him during this play should not beryllium underestimated.

“He’s a young talent, he’s a monolithic young talent, I’ve ever said. I conscionable dream he finds nan correct people,” Bolt said.

“I deliberation it’s truthful large a modulation [to move from juniors] and to person nan correct group to thief to watch you because erstwhile you, astatine that young property – because I was location – you commencement getting pulled near and correct and past you hide way and field.

“So, hopefully, he has nan correct group of group who really thief to guideline him and to support him focused connected way and section because nan remainder of nan worldly will ever beryllium there. But if you messiness up astatine way and field, past it each goes away.”