“It’s always easier when you’re younger”: Usain Bolt reacts as Australian star Gout Gout breaks his record

The records held by Bolt stood like a mountain for nearly a decade after his retirement. But now, in an act of sheer will power and talent, Gout Gout, 17, appropriated a youth record from Bolt and altered the history books of Australia.At the Australian All Schools Championships, Gout shocked the athletics world with his electric sprint in 20.04 secs for the 200m. Not only personal best, but it also saw the Aussie all-time list getting written again: Peter Norman ran 20.06 seconds in 1968 to hold the highest place for over 40 years until now, when Gout became the fastest sprinter in Oceania.This performance also dethroned Bolt from his under-17 record and set a new world record for 16-year-olds. With this, the youngster has catapulted into one of the most spoken-about names this weekend, as the Tokyo World Championships kick off.In Tokyo on September 11, Bolt, who will be there to award medals at the World Champs, expressed his views regarding the rising star. While appreciating Gout’s achievement, the Jamaican great very quickly reminded the young athlete that the real contest is still to come.Bolt expressed, “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 mentioned, “It’s always easier when you’re younger because I was there, I used to do great things when I was young, but the transition from junior to senior is always tougher.”His was a point of view acquired through hard-won experience. At 15, he had won the 2002 World Junior Championships in 20.61 seconds and then went on to dominate the youth circuit before entering the global arena. The warning power packs for Gout are not out of doubt, but rather in preparation for what sprinting would mean at the highest levels of competition for him.Gout is presently coached by Diane Sheppard, who believes and emphasizes the creation of the right atmosphere for young athletes to develop, with respect. Gout has expressed great respect for Bolt and sees him as both an inspiration and a benchmark. Hence, as Gout gears up for his first-ever World Championship in Tokyo, this youngster will certainly be under the world's eyes to evaluate if he can indeed carry Bolt's torch into a new epoch of sprinting greatness.