Viral 16-year-old sprinter Gout Gout gave the coldest answer when asked if he was the next Usain Bolt

Australian sprinter Gout Gout gave the perfect answer after being compared to Jamaican sprint legend Usain Bolt.

Gout, who was born in Brisbane in 2007 – two years after his parents emigrated to Australia from South Sudan – is often compared to the eight-time Olympic champion due to his some truly impressive sprint times.

The 16-year-old surprised spectators at this year's Queensland Athletics Championships after running the 100 metres in just 10.29 seconds.

For comparison: Bolt's current world record is 9.58 seconds.

Meanwhile, at last year's Australian Junior Athletics Championships in Brisbane, Gout won the U18 men's 200m final with a time of 20.87 seconds, just 0.11 seconds behind Bolt, who is the same age.

Footage of his incredible 100m victory in Queensland, which you can watch below, has gone viral on social media in recent days – even though the event took place back in March.

His impressive speed and running style naturally led to comparisons with Bolt, but Gout has named two other sprinters as his favorite athletes instead of the Jamaican.

When he spoke to Athletics Australia in 2022 at just 14 years old, Gout named American sprinters Erriyon Knighton and Noah Lyles as his favourites.

“I like Erriyon Knighton because he's a young player competing against the best and Noah Lyles because he puts up crazy times,” Gout said.

Gout has previously expressed his admiration for Bolt, admitting he was flattered by comparisons to the Jamaican sprint king, but says he is keen to make his own name in athletics.

“It's pretty cool because Usain Bolt is arguably the greatest athlete of all time and just being compared to him is a great feeling,” Gout said (via news.com.au) in April.

“Of course I'm Gout Gout, so I'm trying to make a name for myself. If I could reach his level, that would be a great achievement.”

Gout's two picks for his favorite sprinters, Lyles and Knighton, both made headlines at the Paris Olympics, albeit for different reasons.

Lyles was crowned 100m champion after winning the final with a new personal best of 9.79 seconds, while he later took bronze in the 200m final.

Knighton missed out on a medal in Paris because his participation in the Games was controversial.

The 20-year-old tested positive for trenbolone, a banned substance used to build muscle, in March, but was allowed to compete after an independent referee ruled that he had most likely ingested the substance by eating contaminated meat.

The Athletics Integrity Unit has now appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) against the decision to acquit Knighton of the doping charge.

Gout could face Lyles and Knighton at the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles, capping a remarkable journey since his first experiences in sprint competition at Ipswich Grammar School in Queensland.

In 2022, his trainer Diane Sheppard said, “Six or eight months ago, he looked like one of those things that fly around truck stops. His arms were out of control.

“People are quick to comment: Look how bad his start was, but the boy doesn’t even have full control over the length of his limbs!”

As for his chances of making it into the professional sport, Sheppard believes that in addition to his natural talent, Gout also has the right attitude and work ethic.

“Gout came to Ipswich Grammar as a full-paying student and they pushed a rugby boy after me, but I saw him running around and he immediately stood on his toes. He's a great boy from a great family,” Sheppard added.

“My main concern with the children is to be humble, and he is more than enough of that.”