It simply made the rising star offer a small laugh when asked about the criticism following his heat, as he challenged the โhatersโ to continue firing his way.
โThere are always going to be haters, if youโve got haters it means youโre doing something right,โ Gout said.
โIt is what it is, I never take it [to heart], I just keep running, and obviously, it was pretty fast so thatโs maybe why they were a bit mad. It motivates me to do it in even bigger races, for sure.โ
Gout will enter Saturdayโs semi-final as the firm favourite to clinch the title, having had the gauntlet thrown down at him by Kennedy.
Kennedy twice broke the 10-second barrier in Sydney last week, but the 18-year-old Gout has ensured their blossoming rivalry is only just heating up with his promising heat run, as they each seek to build towards securing the countryโs first Olympic sprinting gold medal in Los Angeles 2028.
But the scary thing, as Gout ominously warned after cruising to his win in the under-20s division, was this was just the beginning, as he plots a greater boilover in Saturdayโs finals at the Queensland Sport and Athletics Centre.
โI definitely have more in the tank. Last week was a great run, and Iโm hoping to keep the same ambition [in Brisbane],โ Gout said.
โHopefully, the wind stays pretty calm, and anythingโs possible. The body is feeling fine, I just did recovery this week getting ready for this week.
โIt was a good run, definitely saved myself for finals. I canโt wait for tomorrow.โ
The 100-metre semi-finals will begin from midday on Saturday, with the final expected to follow at 2.20pm.
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