Teenaged sprint sensation Gout Gout is embracing expectation as he targets redemption against fellow Australian Lachlan Kennedy in their highly-anticipated 200m showdown.
Gout and Kennedy will headline the Maurie Plant Meet at Melbourne's Lakeside Stadium on Saturday alongside Paris Olympics medallists Nina Kennedy, Nicola Olyslagers and Matt Denny.
The 18-year-old Gout, who broke Peter Norman's 56-year-old 200m national record last year, is increasingly comfortable under an intense spotlight as he and Kennedy carry the nation's sprint hopes.
"You could say there's a bit of pressure with that, but knowing me, I just love running and I'm just going to do the best I can," Gout said.
"Confidence comes with experience and knowing I've done this since I was 15-16 years old, it's kind of nothing now."
Gout and Kennedy resume their rivalry after the 22-year-old claimed a surprise victory at the same meet last year, with the scene set for a sizzling encore.
"We're good mates but I'm excited to run it back. It's going to be a good race, me and him, and we'll see what's up," Gout said.
"The sprint is always the sprint - you go out and run as fast as you can.
"But Lachie's such a great starter so I've got to work my bend and coming off that bend just hammer it down the straight."
Gout has targeted strength as the key to speeding up his own starts and improving on his personal best 200m time of 20.02 seconds, set in the Czech Republic in June last year.
The young star expects having more time to train - now that he's finished school - will have a significant effect.
"Training is definitely going to be a lot more professional in a way, knowing that I can train a lot more efficiently," Gout said.
"(I can) get a lot more reps and get in the gym a bit more. That's definitely going to be a major factor."
Gout insists he is "ready to rock and roll" after being troubled by a head cold in the build-up to this month's Queensland atheltics championships.
The illness didn't prevent him taking a positive step with a winning double, claiming the under-20 100m title in 10.20 before adding the 200m title in 20.42 seconds into a 2.1m per second headwind.
Kennedy, a world indoor silver medallist over 60m, posted a season-opening time of 20.46 to win at the recent Hobart Track Classic in his first race since July.
Irish-born Benjamin Richardson, who hols a PB in the 200m of 19.99, is among the Maurie Plant field and looms as a major threat to the Australian pair.
Athletics Australia expect a sell-out crowd at Lakeside Stadium, with Gout hoping to feed off their energy.
"Having a great crowd and knowing there's so many people here to watch me run and watch me compete well brings out the best in me," he said.
"It brings out that motivation ... you've got to turn up and put on the jets."
