A sprinter who was touted for Olympic greatness after recording a faster 200m time than a teenage Usain Bolt is said to have walked away from athletics.
James Gallaugher, who is from the small coastal town of Ulladulla in Australia, made headlines in 2012 when a YouTube clip emerged of his race from the NSW Primary Schools Championships.
As seen below, the video shows a 12-year-old Gallaugher come from at least 20-metres behind with 100-metres to go to secure a memorable victory in the the 4x100m relay.
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At the time, his personal best 100m time of 11.72 seconds was enough to make him faster than anybody his age in Australia and the United States.
Soon, the Michael Johnson Spire Athletics Institute in Ohio made contact, as well as a number of NRL [National Rugby League] teams, including South Sydney and Newcastle.
Gallaugher would make further headlines in 2013 after recording a 200m time of 21.73 seconds at the Australian Under 14 National Championships.
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It was a record time for his age group and 0.08 seconds quicker than eight-time Olympic gold medalist Usain Bolt at 14-years-old.
"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," said former sprinting champion Scott Richardson at the time.
"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."
Like many others, Richardson would tip Gallaugher to run competitively if he continued to improve but after such a promising start to his career, it appears things would go downhill after only two years.
In a recent video, YouTube channel Sprint Spotlight gave his viewers an insight into Gallaugher's short-lived career.
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"The challenges of early fame became apparent," he said. "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."
Topics: Australia, Usain Bolt, Athletics
Jack Kenmare