The one question that stumped Gout Gout in sprint sensation's sole media commitment before world titles

TOKYO: One question put to Gout Gout during the teen sprint sensation's sole media commitment before go time at the world athletics championships left the Australian superstar stumped.

Gout, the 17-year-old sprint prodigy from Ipswich, handled with aplomb a 45-minute panel chat hosted by Adidas in the Japanese capital on Monday.

With his cool-as-a-cat style and maturity well beyond his years, he fielded a wide range of questions from Spencer Nel — Adidas' long-time track and field marketing boss — and a cluster of press and broadcast journalists from a host of countries, including the UK, Germany, France and, of course, Australia.

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But one three-word question early in the chat put the schoolboy at a loss.

"What irritates you?" Nel queried.

"Umm, that's a good question," Gout replied.

He was decked out from tip to toe in Adidas kit, wearing a white oversized t-shirt, black trackpants that ended at his calves, long white socks, and black shoes. He also had his beloved golden necklace dangling around his neck.

He's in Tokyo for his senior Australian debut, ready to run in the 200 metres beginning with his heat on Wednesday night.

"Not much, to be honest," he added, trying to think if anything irritated him.

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"I think just, you know...

"That's a great question," he smiled, shaking a finger at the Adidas kingpin.

"That's a great question, guys," he added, glancing at the audience.

Laughter filled the room.

"I've got him stumped!" Nel exclaimed.

"Wow," Gout said, partly flustered, partly curious, partly amused.

"I never thought about this."

The question was put aside.

Ten minutes passed.

In that time, he shared with the room how school life had changed since he exploded to fame on the back of a series of spellbinding runs.

He also threw forward to many years down the track, revealing how he wants people to remember him once his career is done.

Then came, again, that one bamboozling question.

"What irritates you?" Nel queried, grinning cheekily.

"I thought about it a little bit," Gout laughed.

"If there isn't anything that's also a good thing," Nel quipped.

"There is probably something; I just can't think of it," Gout said, racking his brain.

"Having to do the dishes at home?" offered Nel.

"That's pretty fun!" the youngster beamed, again filling the room with laughter.

"I just put my music in and just do it on my own."

After taking another moment to consider what in his world, if anything, proved a source of annoyance, Gout, whose life is wildly different to that of any other Australian schoolkid, offered an answer very typical of a schoolkid.

"Probably exams," he quipped.

"I don't like exams too much."

Unfortunately for Gout, who's in year 12 at Ipswich Grammar School, exams will be awaiting when he returns from Tokyo.

And if, as is the plan, he enrolls in university to study psychology, the exams will keep on coming.

But Gout, as his manager James Templeton often puts it, is a "straight A student".

"It's definitely crazy," Gout said, speaking about his school life.

"I've had the same mates since I was in grades seven and eight, even from prep [preparatory school], so they treat me the same.

"They don't realise how good I am sometimes.

"But their friends are like, 'You're friends with Gout Gout?'

"I sit in the same spot with my friends every lunch time, and there's two groups of boys, without fail, every single morning tea and lunch, they walk by, they say hello, give us a handshake, have a little chat, and they go about their day. They've been doing that since the start of the year, and even days I'm not there, they still do it because I hear stories."

Gout flew to Europe in the June/July school holidays, with Templeton and his coach, Di Sheppard.

He had two races to run — one in the Czech Republic and one in Monaco.

He bettered his national 200m record in the Czech Republic, lowering the mark to 20.02 seconds.

For context, Jamaica's Usain Bolt, the greatest sprinter of all time, had a personal best of 19.93 seconds as a 17-year-old — but Gout doesn't turn 18 until December 29.

Plus, 16-year-old Gout was faster than 16-year-old Bolt. Gout's best as a 16-year-old was 20.04; Bolt's was 20.13.

"When I came back [to school] from Europe they were like, 'Gout, you're back! It's good to see you', and I say, 'Yeah, it's good to see you, too'.

"To be able to see those kids admiring me and being able to look up to me is definitely a great feeling."

And how does he want people perceiving him when, many moons into the future, he calls time on his career?

"Definitely just being someone people can look at and think, 'He was good, he was that guy, he was able to compete at global [competitions] and medal', and things of that nature," Gout said.

"Just being an inspiration to people older than me, people younger than me, people the same age, people that don't even do track, potentially; just being able to be that someone who started off as a nobody and became someone really, really good ... I think to be that would be a very, very big inspiration."

As for the Tokyo world titles, Gout's main goal is to set a new personal best.

"I definitely want a PB. Regardless of where I come, it's definitely a good success," he said.

"And if I can make the semi, that's even greater, and if I make it into the final, that's a big success."

Nel hit him with some quick-fire questions.

World record or Olympic gold? Olympic gold.

Favourite food? Pizza. No, burgers!

Favourite drink? Peach iced tea.

One reporter put to Gout a curly question, asking what his legs would say going into Wednesday night's heat if his legs could talk.

His answer was priceless.

"In F1, you know how the cars are warming up the tyres?" Gout prefaced.

"I think they'll be exactly like that.

"They'll be ready to rumble."