Usain Bolt Urges Gout Gout, 18, Not To Forget Track And Field

Usain Bolt has urged Australian sprinter Gout Gout, 18, not to forget track and field as the spotlight and distractions intensify around his early success.

“- Published Sprint legend Usain Bolt has urged rising Australian star Gout Gout not to forget track and field and find a good support network to keep him focused on his career as the spotlight and distractions intensify”

BBC

Bolt told CNN that “At that young age, because I was there, you start getting put left and right and then you forget track and field,” and added, “Hopefully he has the right set of people to guide him and keep him focused on track and field because the rest of the stuff will always be there.”

BBC

In the same message, Bolt warned that “But if you mess up on track and field, then it all goes away.”

The advice comes after Gout Gout retained the 200m title at the Australian Athletics Championships on 12 April in a time of 19.67 seconds.

BBC reported that Gout Gout also claimed the under-20 100m national title, and that he went under the 20-second mark at last season's championships with a wind-assisted 19.84.

Multiple outlets tied Bolt’s counsel to Gout’s rapid rise, including the Independent, which said Bolt told CNN that the teen must “surround himself with a strong support team in order to stay focused on his career and avoid the distractions that will come with track and field success.”

Gout Gout’s performances have been framed across outlets through specific times and comparisons to Bolt’s own teenage marks.

BBC said Gout beat USA sprinter Erriyon Knighton's world under-20 record (19.69) and bettered Bolt's time of 19.93 from 2004, calling it “the Jamaican's fastest time as a teenager.”

CNN

BBC also reported that Gout went under the 20-second mark at last season's championships with a wind-assisted 19.84 and previously set the quickest time by a 16-year-old over 200m when he ran 20.04 in 2024.

The Independent similarly emphasized that Gout clocked 19.67s to win the 200m title at the Australian Athletics Championships and followed it with a victory in the under-20 100m event where he finished in 10.21s.

Outlook India added that Gout, 18, will be competing at the Diamond League in June and that he clocked 10.21 seconds in the under-20 100m event.

Fox Sports described Gout’s 100m run as “a time of 10.21 seconds with a legal wind of +0.5 metres per second,” and said it came after he clocked “19.67sec run in the 200 metres in Sydney.”

CNN’s account also stated that Gout surpassed Bolt’s 200m teenage benchmark, noting that Gout “surpassed the time of 19.93 seconds set by the Jamaican in 2004.”

Bolt’s guidance is tied to Gout Gout’s next step into senior competition, with multiple outlets naming the Diamond League debut and the opponent.

“Published:April 20, 2026 at 8:00AM EDT The Shopping Trends team is independent of the journalists at CTV News”

CTV News

BBC said Gout is set to make his Diamond League debut in the 200m in Oslo on 10 June, but has indicated he will skip the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow to focus on the World Under-20 Championships in Oregon in August.

The Independent also said Gout is set to make his Diamond League debut in the 200m in Oslo on 10 June, lining up in a strong field led by reigning Olympic champion Letsile Tebogo of Botswana.

CNN confirmed the same senior debut date and location, stating it was “recently confirmed that the sprint sensation will make his senior debut on the Diamond League circuit, athletics’ premier global series, in Oslo, Norway on June 10,” and that it’s set to be a “200m showdown against none other than the reigning Olympic champion, Letsile Tebogo.”

Nine reported that Gout will make his senior Diamond League debut on June 10 in Oslo, Norway, and that he will race a 200m against Botswana's Letsile Tebogo, the gold medallist in the event at the Paris 2024 Olympics.

Outlook India and The Independent both described the June 10 Oslo meet as a key international stage, while Fox Sports added that Gout will forgo the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow to focus on the Under 20 World Championships in the United States.

Beyond the “stay focused” message, Bolt also framed Gout Gout’s move from junior success to senior competition as a “totally different” experience that could include setbacks.

The Guardian quoted Bolt telling CNN, “I know it’s going to be an eye-opener,” and added, “I hope it doesn’t get him down but motivate him to work even harder.”

Devdiscourse

Bolt described the pressure that comes with being watched for “a fast time,” saying in the Guardian’s account: “The pressure that comes with it, is not going to be easy because every time you step on that track, everybody’s going to be always looking for a fast time, always looking for you to do great.”

In the same piece, Bolt said, “So hopefully he has the right people to help him to understand that not every day is going to be a great day. Not every time you run, you’re going to win.”

Fox Sports similarly quoted Bolt recalling his own transition, saying, “I remember coming out of high school going on the circuit, I felt like I was on top of the world because I was winning and running good,” and then, “When I got on the circuit, I didn’t win one race!”

News.au and Nine both echoed Bolt’s “totally different” warning, with Nine stating, “It’s so big … It’s totally different,” and then quoting Bolt’s recollection that “When I got on the circuit, I didn’t win one race!”

The Guardian also reported that Gout has “retained his core team of advisers,” including “long-time coach Di Sheppard and manager James Templeton,” and Bolt said the influence of those around him “should not be underestimated.”

As Gout Gout prepares for his senior debut, outlets also described how his competition schedule and management choices intersect with Bolt’s warnings.

“Bolt’s ‘eye-opener’ warning for Gout Gout as legend urges Aussie sprint sensation to stay on track Eight-time Olympic gold medallist Usain Bolt has urged Australian sprint sensation Gout Gout to ensure he has a strong team around him to ensure he stays on track as he hits the global stage”

Fox Sports

BBC said Gout has indicated he will skip the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow to focus on the World Under-20 Championships in Oregon in August, while Fox Sports said he has made the decision to forgo the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow to focus on the Under 20 World Championships in the United States.

Fox Sports

Nine added that Gout won’t run at the Glasgow Commonwealth Games this year, having chosen to prioritise the world under-20 championships, which begin straight after in Eugene, Oregon.

The Independent and Outlook India both tied the next phase to the Diamond League in Oslo on 10 June, with Outlook India specifying that the Diamond League debut is in Oslo on June 10 and that Gout will be racing against Letsile Tebogo.

Bolt’s advice also included a practical emphasis on the people around him, with CNN saying Bolt hopes Gout “finds the right people” to have around him as the 18-year-old continues his rise.

News.au reported that Gout is guided by longtime coach Di Sheppard and managed by James Templeton, and it quoted Bolt saying, “I just hope he find the right people.”

In the same vein, Nine quoted Bolt saying, “Hopefully, he has the right set of people to guide him and keep him focused on track and field because the rest of the stuff will always be there,” and then warned, “But if you mess up on track and field, then it all goes away.”