Justin Gatlin, Usain Bolt’s fiercest competitor, has issued a warning following the impressive accomplishment of a 16-year-old prodigy who has shattered a record previously held by the Jamaican legend.

Former American sprinter Justin Gatlin has cautioned against making direct comparisons between rising star Gout Gout and Olympic legend Usain Bolt.

At just 16 years old, Gout has captured international attention by achieving Olympic-standard times.

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He achieved an impressive time of 20.60 seconds at the U20 World Championships, just a hundredth of a second shy of Bolt’s record in the same event from 2002.

Bolt is widely regarded as the greatest sprinter in history, boasting eight Olympic gold medals along with world records in both the 100m and 200m events.

His 100m record of 9.58 seconds, set in 2009, remains unbroken, as does his 200m record of 19.19 seconds from the same year.

Bolt also holds the world record for the 4x100m relay, clocking in at 36.84 seconds during the London 2012 Olympics alongside his Jamaican teammates.

While there are high hopes for Gout to follow in Bolt’s footsteps, Gatlin cautions against imposing undue pressure on the young athlete, who is just starting his professional career.

Gatlin, who won gold in the 100m at the 2004 Athens Olympics, reminded listeners of Bolt’s remarkable accomplishments at both junior and senior levels, noting that Gout has much to prove before reaching Bolt’s heights.

« If you look back at what Bolt achieved—without undermining Gout or others who are excelling now—Bolt held the junior world record, and back in 2004, he clocked 19.93 seconds, » Gatlin said on the Ready Set Go podcast. « When you compare that to today’s athletes, he outshines them. »

« Claiming someone is the next big thing only fuels bandwagon fans, » Gatlin added.

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« Let’s not burden these young athletes with expectations that come with extreme stress, » Gatlin emphasized. « Allow them the space to develop. They should proudly declare, ‘I’m Gout Gout, I’m unique’ or ‘I’m [Letsile] Tebogo, I’ll carve my own path.’

Recently, Gout gained fame by securing silver in the 200m final at the U20 World Championships with a remarkable time of 20.60 seconds.

While Gout is positioned for a potentially stellar career, Gatlin hopes the weight of excessive attention won’t obstruct his progress.

Gatlin, who faced a four-year ban from athletics in 2006 due to a doping violation, later struggled to eclipse Bolt, who continued to dominate the sport during Gatlin’s comeback.

Upon returning, Gatlin secured bronze in the 100m at the London 2012 Olympics and won silver in Rio 2016, both times finishing behind Bolt, who claimed gold in those events.