The Australian sprint sensation charms international media ahead of his senior competition debut on Wednesday
T
he subways and shopping malls in Tokyo were busy on Monday for the national public holiday to celebrate “respect for the aged day”. Four storeys up, inside Adidas’ hospitality fortress a walk from Japan’s National Stadium, the sentiment was different. Here, a room filled with international press bowed at the altar of athletics’ new prodigy.
Gout Gout, the 17-year-old Australian who will compete in the 200m at the World Athletics Championships on Wednesday, is faster than Usain Bolt was at the same age. His spectacular performances and gleaming grin have swamped social media. And he has been promoted by his sponsor as well as World Athletics as one of the faces of the meet.
Yet when the Ipswich Grammar student walked out to face the cameras from behind the sliding translucent doors adorned with the three stripes at his single pre-meet media engagement, he appeared nervous. Gout put his left hand in his pocket, and offered an awkward smile and hand gesture to the press as he approached the stage. “It’s a long walk,” offered the host, Adidas’ senior athletics executive Spencer Nel, in part to ease the tension.
