A viral sprinter touted as the successor to Usain Bolt is said to have left his Olympic dreams in the dust by quitting athletics altogether.
James Gallaugher catapulted himself into mainstream media attention after clocking a faster 200m time than a teenage Bolt.
Gout Gout is the latest Australian sprinter to be called the ‘next Usain Bolt’Getty But not every young athlete has managed to live up to the Jamaican’s legacyGettyThe Australian is far from the only sprinter to be saddled with the tag of being the ‘next Bolt’, with compatriot Gout Gout the latest.
Gallaugher also had the stats to prove it – with footage released in 2012 showing him run the 100m in 11.72 seconds at the age of 12.
A clip of his race from the NSW Primary Schools Championships, where he came from at least 20 metres behind to win, went viral.
His athletics coach and former sprinting champion, Scott Richardson, claimed,” James is a standout.
“I wouldn’t just say it because he is someone I coach. He is a freak, and I mean that in the very best way.
“When I talk about him with my wife and my family, we just say he is going to be the greatest sprinter we have ever had if he keeps improving at the rate, which he is.”
At the time of his victory in the 4x100m relay, Gallaugher’s time made him the fastest of his age in Australia and the United States.
Aussie paper The Herald Sun confirmed that Michael Johnson’s Athletic Institute got in touch to get the teen over to train in Ohio.
“They said they are more than willing to have him go to school there or attend a training camp,” his mother, Samara, said.
“I think he is too young to go to school over there, so we are going to send him over in July next year for a training camp.”
Athletics coach Scott Richardson called his most talented student a sprint ‘freak’Australian runner ‘faster’ than Usain Bolt
Gallaugher, who hails from the small Australian town of Ulladulla, soon proved he wasn’t a one-race wonder the following year.
In December 2013 at the Australian All Schools Championships, the then 13-year-old clocked a time of 21.73 seconds for the 200m,
Not only was it a world best for his age group, his time was also 0.08 seconds quicker than Bolt ran as a 14-year-old.
Gallaugher, who was trying to be lured by National Rugby League officials, admitted he had dreams of emulating the feats of his hero, Bolt.
“It’s just been fun,” he told The West Australian. “It feels pretty awesome to be in front, but it’s hard to explain, really.”
Gallaugher was tipped to be the fastest sprinter Australia ever hadGettyWhat happened to the next Usain Bolt?
The sky looked to be the limit for Gallaugher, who was being coached by former Olympian Lyn Foreman at the WA Institute of Sport.
“We don’t want to put too much pressure on a 13-year-old,” said national junior high performance manager Sara Mulkearns.
“He’s in good hands and will definitely be a part of our junior programs. But he is pretty exciting.”
Gallaugher hoped to stake a claim for selection for the 2016 Olympics, but he had already left athletics behind by the Games’ arrival.
Gallaugher quit athletics before turning competitiveGettyYouTube channel Sprint Spotlight explained, as reported by SportBible: “The challenges of early fame became apparent.
“While he improved his 100m time to 10.77s by the age of 15, he struggled to dominate at the national level in Australia.
“Competing against peers with more physical development, he found it difficult to maintain his edge.
“Experts noted that while James was fast, he lacked the height, build and biomechanics typically associated with world-class sprinters like Usain Bolt.
“By age 16, he stepped away from competitive athletics. The combination of physical limitations and the immense pressure of being compared to a legend likely contributed to his early exit.”
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