‘It was crazy’ – Gout Gout left speechless by agent’s financial admission

Gout Gout was left gobsmacked when his agent revealed a lucrative endorsement deal from Adidas worth millions. The 17-year-old Australian athlete has been turning heads in the athletics world, having smashed the national U18 200m record at Australia’s Junior Athletics Championships with a blistering time of 20.87 seconds two years ago.

Fast forward to December 2024, and Gout Gout astounded yet again with an incredible performance at the Australian All Schools Championships, notching up the second fastest U18 time ever recorded for the 200m event in a swift 20.04s.

This feat eclipsed Usain Bolt’s best efforts in his youth and broke both the Australian and Oceanian records that Peter Norman set back in 1968. However, it wasn’t until megabrand interest that Gout Gout truly grasped the magnitude of his achievements.

Shortly after his remarkable run, he got wind of a multi-million-pound Adidas endorsement in the pipeline.

Chatting with GQ, Gout Gout revealed his near-speechlessness after learning from his agent James Templeton exactly how much Adidas was ready to shell out for his allegiance.

He said: “JT told me how much they were willing to pay to get me on their side. It was crazy.

The number kept getting higher and I realised how much these companies think I’m worth. But that sponsorship really helps you get to the next level because obviously you need the money to travel and to train.

“Especially since I’m at school, so I don’t need to go and find a job at Maccas or whatever to put fuel in my car. It definitely helps a lot.”

The humble sprinter also explained that he has refrained from letting new-found fame and fortune get to his head, as he revealed the biggest purchase he has made as of late.

He added: “I’ve saved a lot and I bought myself a new car when I got my Ps, so that’s probably the biggest purchase I’ve made so far. I haven’t gone crazy.”

Gout Gout, whose parents Bona and Monica fled South Sudan for a new life in Australia, before giving birth to him two years later, also spoke about his ambitions for the future, highlighting his desire not just to shine in athletics but to give back to his family.

He added: “Long term, I’d like to set myself up and set my family up.”

Already a notable figure on the track, Gout Gout clinched silver in the 200m at the 2024 World Championships in Lima and finished fifth with his team in the 4x100m relay.

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While recognitions have seen him likened to Olympic legend Bolt, Gout Gout aspires to carve out his own distinct legacy in the sport, admitting feeling somewhat weary of the constant comparisons to the Jamaican icon.

In an interview with Nine last year, he said: “My stride length is pretty long, my knee height is pretty high and just the amount of tallness I get when I’m running.

I’m just me trying to be me. Obviously, I do run like him.

“I do sometimes look like him, but obviously, I’m making a name for myself, and I think I’ve done that pretty well.

I just want to continue doing that and continue to be not only Usain Bolt but continue to be Gout Gout.”