Star Metro - Australian teen Gout Gout revels in world championships debut

The 17-year-old has been compared to Bolt, the 11-time world champion and eight-time Olympic gold medallist, for his similar age-grade progression.

Bolt was in the National Stadium in Tokyo to witness the youngster's senior international debut.

"He is the GOAT (greatest of all time)," Gout Gout said of Bolt after qualifying from his heat in third spot in 20.23sec.

"Usain Bolt, he's the actor everyone looks up to, so I've just got to keep looking up to him and try and be like him, too."

Gout Gout showed no outward sign of nerves, instead basking in the attention alongside the likes of Olympic champions Noah Lyles, Letsile Tebogo and a clutch of other experienced sprinters.

"It feels pretty good, it's great to be out here competing on the world stage so I'm just happy to be here and I can't wait for the semi," said Gout Gout, born to South Sudanese parents who fled the war-torn country via Egypt and arrived in Australia in 2006.

"It's a great experience for me, running against the big dogs, it's great to be out here and just excited for more.

"I just got through to the semis so it is definitely great to know that I'm up against the top 24 in the world pretty much, so it's just a great experience."

Nerves, he admitted, had been conquered -- and a mindset fixed.

"Obviously I was a bit nervous but you've just got to get out here, have some fun and just enjoy being out here," he said.

"There's expectation wherever I go so it is what it is, I've just got to get out there and do my thing and have a bit of fun.

"I definitely enjoyed myself, even though it was a bit hot, but it's definitely great."

- 'Run like the wind' -

Gout Gout has a personal best of 20.02sec this season and he acknowedged that dipping under the 20-second barrier -- the mark of world-class 200m sprinting -- was the aim in Tokyo.

"Sub-20, that's the goal, so let's see in the semi," he said.

"I just felt that in my heat, everyone wasn't up against me apart from the top two so I just picked who's in control of the last 50, last 30 and just qualified, so that's what I needed."

Gout Gout said he would continue to focus on himself, instead of being star-struck by rivals lining up in the next lanes to him.

"These are the biggest athletes in the world and some that I admired when I was younger so I'm just focusing on myself and I'm doing very well so I'll just keep doing that.

"It's not really hard, my mindset is pretty good so just go out there and do my thing."

The lanky Gout Gout played down concerns over his starts, which he admitted were "not my strong suit".

"As soon as I get into running, I'm chilling so yeah, it's good," he said.

"I just run with freedom, free here, just go out there, run like a horse, run like the wind."

O.Lessard--SMC