JUSTIN GATLIN has warned that comparisons should not be drawn between his biggest rival Usain Bolt and new running wonderkid Gout Gout.
Bolt is regarded as the greatest sprinter of all time after setting world records in the men’s 100m and 200m.
The Jamaican, who won EIGHT Olympic gold medals, ran a mind-boggling 9.58 seconds in the 100m in 2009.
And the same year saw Bolt record a new world best of 19.19 in the 200m.
Those records remain intact to this day, with new Olympic champ Noah Lyles winning gold in the 100m with a time of 9.79.
But some spectators believe Bolt’s achievements could eventually be broken by a new kid on the block.
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Australian ace Gout is just 16 years old and has already broken Bolt’s world record for 200m at the U20 World Championships.
He ran the distance in 20.60, beating Bolt’s record by one hundredth of a second.
The youngster has also done 100m in just 10.2 seconds.
And some feel Gout could be the man to set new standards in the sport.
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But American icon Gatlin reckons nobody can come close to Bolt — and if they do, they will do it off their own steam.
The former sprinter was one of Bolt’s fiercest rivals back in the day.
Gatlin won 100m Olympic gold at Athens in 2004 and was often within touching distance of Bolt.
And he warned sprinting fans not to compare Gout with the Jamaican legend.
Gatlin told the Ready Set Go podcast: “Looking at what Bolt did – and not taking anything away from Gout Gout or anybody else that’s doing their thing right now and dominating.
“When Bolt was a junior, he had the junior world record, which at that point in time, in 2004, this dude ran 19 low nine. 19.93 was his record, bro.
“If you put that against these guys today, he is eclipsing them.
“To say that this person is the next and that person is the next, I feel like we give the microphone to the bandwagoners.
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“Stop putting these young athletes on a path that comes with a lot of stress and comes with a lot of pressure. Let them go out there and develop themselves.
“If anything, let them say, ‘No, I’m Gout Gout, I’m about to be different. I’m [Letsile] Tebogo, I’m about to be different.”
Source: Athletics - thesun.co.uk
