Back in 2024, Gout Gout ran 20.04 seconds in the 200 metres, surpassing Usain Bolt’s 16‑year‑old world best of 20.13 s set in 2003. That performance made him the fastest in that age ever over the distance and earned him the label of the “next Usain Bolt.” But now, two years later, track and field fans are mocking him after his recent loss at the Maurie Plant Meet, questioning whether the Bolt comparisons were made too soon.

On March 28, 2026, at the Peter Norman Memorial in Melbourne, Gout faced the same rivalry once again. Interestingly, what added more challenge was that minutes before the race, a sudden rain made the track wet and slippery. But still, that didn’t stop Lachlan Kennedy, the 22-year-old Australian sprinter who had a stress fracture in his back last year. Kennedy ran a strong 200 m, leading from the start and finishing first in 20.38 seconds.

But Gout had a small slip at the start. In a sport decided by fractions of a second, it made all the difference. He ran hard down the home straight but couldn’t catch Kennedy, finishing second in 20.43 seconds. “Today he got the win, but next time I’ll be better for sure,” Gout said after crossing the line, just five hundredths of a second behind Kennedy. “It was very rocky.”

And the rest of the field followed closely behind. Tommy De Puni finished third in 20.73 seconds while Calab Law came in fourth at 20.74 seconds.

Interestingly, earlier that evening, Kennedy had also impressed in the men’s 100 m by running 10.03. And in doing so, he defeated Olympic semi-finalist Rohan Browning and set a new meet record (old mark set by Asafa Powell in 2008)

Now, seeing Kennedy continue to grow while Gout struggles in races like this has left fans questioning the earlier hype around Gout.

Fans question ‘next Bolt’ hype as Gout faces intense scrutiny

“Aussie media needs to stop comparing him to Usain for the sake of his development and career. It puts undue pressure on him when he doesn’t meet these impossible expectations, “One fan added.  Another added, “Gout has so much expectations to be the next Bolt, it’s almost comical.” One more added, “Gout is overrated.”

These show how the hype around Gout has put him under intense scrutiny. But looking at his record, the attention wasn’t entirely unfair. Back in 2024, at just 16, Gout ran 20.04 seconds in the 200 m, breaking an Australian record that had stood since 1968. That same year, he also won silver in the 200 m at the World Athletics U20 Championships in Lima.

Even at that time, Bolt said about Gout, “If he continues on this track it’s going to be good but it’s all about getting everything right. I mean, it’s never just easy…He’s very talented, with the times he’s running now and he’s really been doing well,” he added.

And then, in 2025, Gout improved his national 200 m record to 20.02 seconds at the Ostrava Golden Spike meet, beating his own previous mark, and reached the semi‑finals at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo.

By early 2026, Gout ran 10.00 seconds in the 100 m in Brisbane, the equal-fastest legal time by an Australian on home soil. He also ran 19.98 seconds in the 200 m under wind-assisted conditions, one of the fastest ever by someone his age, though it didn’t count as a legal record.

Another fan added, “No chance. At 17, Bolt was running 19.93 😂😂” It’s true, Usain Bolt ran 19.93 seconds in the 200 m at the CARIFTA Games in Hamilton, Bermuda on 11 April 2004, setting a World Junior Record at age 17. That was a benchmark for any young sprinter. But Gout wasn’t far behind.

By age 17, his best 200 m was 19.84 seconds, actually faster than Bolt’s junior mark. Even in this season, he’s been running just over 20 seconds, but being able to maintain that peak form consistently is a whole new challenge.

Another fan added, “Gout Gout looking less like Bolt and more like Jo Fahnbulleh.” While Gout was being compared to Usain Bolt, his recent races suggest he hasn’t yet reached that level of dominance. Joseph “Jo” Fahnbulleh, in contrast, is an elite sprinter with personal bests of 9.98 s in the 100 m and 19.83 s in the 200 m, and he has competed in global finals at the World Championships and Olympics.

So, the fan’s point is that Gout remains a top sprinter, but at present his form and results align more closely with accomplished senior athletes like Fahnbulleh rather than a historical figure such as Bolt.

One more fan added, “But I thought he was breaking Bolt’s record.” Sure, Usain Bolt’s 9.58 s (100 m) and 19.19 s (200 m) world records remain untouchable, and while Gout was once hailed as a prodigy capable of challenging these marks. But after that, he has faced several high-profile setbacks that feed this doubt. As we saw at the 2025 World Athletics Championships in Tokyo,  Gout missed the 200 m final, finishing fourth in his semifinal.

Taken together, these results explain why fans are now tempering expectations.