Australian teen sensation Gout Gout has been advised to bide his time in juniors following his disappointing Diamond League debut in Oslo on Wednesday.
The 18-year-old, who was slow out of the blocks, finished sixth the men’s 200m final after clocking 20.60s, well below the national record of 19.67s he set in April — which was better than Usain Bolt at the same age.
Reigning Olympic champion Letsile Tebogo won the event with 19.84s, shaving over a tenth off his season best.
Watch the biggest Aussie sports & the best from overseas LIVE on Kayo Sports | New to Kayo? Join now and get your first month for just $1 >
“Definitely not what I imagined,” Gout confessed after the race.
“I imagined victory myself, but definitely can’t be disappointed. It’s my first Diamond League, so I’m going out here, having a bit of fun and then getting back to training.”
He added: “Tebogo is a great athlete, I’ve looked up to him for a long time and he deserved the win today.
“There’s definitely a lot more room for me to improve but I have plenty of time on my side. There’s always pressure on me but all I do is try my best and keep focusing on just having fun.
“I love competing against the big boys and I’ll be back for sure – I put no limits on myself.”
Tebogo, who won gold in the men’s 200m at the 2024 Paris Olympics, offered some words of advice for Gout after the race.
“After the race, I wanted to talk to Gout Gout, but he is so busy with all the media,” Tebogo said.
“First and foremost, he should not get comfortable racing with the seniors. He still has a long way to go.
“He should by all means play with his age mates where he is a bit more comfortable because the more he runs, the more he pushes and the more injuries he is going to get.
“I hope his management, the coaches and everybody around him will advise that because that is what worked for me.
“I have seen a lot of people my age racing with seniors and it did not go well for them. I believe I am the only one still standing from Kenya through Calli (2022 world junior championships) until now and running with the seniors.”
Next week, Gout will take on Olympic champion Noah Lyles in a 150m match-up at the Ostrava Golden Spike Meeting.
Elsewhere in Oslo, Australia’s Ky Robinson toppled the national men’s 5000m record set by Craig Mottram in 2004 with a personal best of 12:50.82, bettering the previous record by five seconds. He finished eighth behind Ethiopia’s Addisu Yihune at 12:47.62.
In the Dream Mile, Australian Cameron Myers placed third with 3:48.35, joining Kenya’s Timothy Cheruiyot (3:48.21) and America’s Yared Nuguse (3:48.21) on the podium.
Meanwhile, Australian pole vaulter Kurtis Marschal won his second consecutive Diamond League meet, clearing 5.82m in challenging conditions to seal fold.
Australia’s Peter Bol finished fifth in the men’s 800m with a season-best 1:43.64.