PRAGUE: Australian teenage sprint sensation Gout Gout said on Sunday he preferred 200 metres to 100 metres which is `too short` as he was bracing for his first-ever start in Europe.

The 17-year-old won the Australian Athletic Championships in April clocking 19.84 seconds on 200 metres and 9.99 seconds on 100 metres, though both with a tailwind above the limit.

He is getting ready to run 200 metres at the Golden Spike meet in the eastern Czech city of Ostrava on Tuesday in his European premiere.

`I definitely like 200 more than 100 because 100 is a bit too short for me,` Gout told reporters.

`You get the start and then you`re already at the finish line. I really like getting out and getting to my top speed and keep holding it to the finish line. So 200 is great and I love it,` said Gout, whose parents migrated from South Sudan.

He rose to prominence last December when he clocked the quickest 200m time ever by a 16-yearold of 20.04 sec, bettering Usain Bolt`s personal best at the same age.

After Ostrava, Gout will compete at the Diamond League in Monaco on July 11 with eyes on the world championships in Tokyo in September.-AFP