Tokyo, Japan – Gout Gout, di 17-year-old sensation from Australia, don dey grab attention with him first major international outing at di World Championships. For him heat on Wednesday night, he handle di pressure like say e dey chill for backyard, finish third with a time of 20.23 seconds. Na so him come secure automatic qualification for di semi-finals wey go happen on Thursday.
Jamaican Bryan Levell and Zimbabwean Makanakaishe Charamba power pass am for di heat, but Gout no send dem. E finish behind dem, but dem two na di only athletes wey fit maintain him world ranking of 16. Gout bin start slow like e dey try to locate him shoe size, but as e find him rhythm, him just dey cruise like say na morning jog.
“Di start sabi be wahala for me, but once I dey run, I dey cool, no wahala,” him talk after di race. E yan say nobody dey push am, apart from di top two, so him just dey ginger for di last 50 meters to qualify.
This semi-final wey dey come be big test for am, as him go face some of di fastest sprinters wey don ever grace di track. Dem don enter 20.00 seconds or less, and dat na di target wey Gout don set for himself — break di 20-second barrier. “Sub-20, na dat be di goal, make we see how di semi go play out,” Gout yan. E dey plan to treat di semi like another training session, no stress.
Meanwhile, di Australian squad no dey sleep! Torrie Lewis too don enter semi-finals for di women’s 200m event after she run second in her heat with a personal best of 22.56 seconds. After she take time meditate on how she take miss di final of di 100m, di girl no wan make di same mistake again. “I sabi say I fit go far, so I go put everything wey I get,” she talk with vibes.
Others like Aidan Murphy and Calab Law try their best but no be dem day shine for di stage dis time. Murphy finish sixth in im heat, while Law no even get chance to show say him dey level. But no vex, na sport be dis, sometimes you go chop wetin you no bargain for.
As Gout dey prepare for di semi-finals, im go remember sey even di legendary Usain Bolt bin struggle for him first outing at World Championships in 2004. Gout dey carry di spirit as di youngest male athlete for di Australian team wey go represent for dis level.
“I dey follow for di footsteps of di big boys, and I dey look up to dem. Bolt na di goat, and I go keep pushing to be like am,” Gout conclude. Di whole world dey look forward to di semi-finals, as him and di poto-poto boys go dey run like chook for di field on Thursday. Na we go see wetin e go drop!
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