GIFTED: James Gallaugher. Picture: Bullard Simon Source: The Daily Telegraph
IF you are a fan of rugby league or athletics, write down the name James Gallaugher.
This gifted 12-year-old indigenous schoolboy from the south coast town of Ulladulla already has four NRL clubs interested in his talent - and the potential to be "the greatest sprinter we have ever had".
That statement belongs to his athletics coach Scott Richardson, himself one of Australia's fastest men.
A three-time national age champion who won a Pan Pacific Games gold medal, Richardson has trained and competed against the very best sprinters over the past 20 years.
Asked where this current 100m and 200m primary school champ ranks on raw talent, Richardson said without hesitation: "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."
James's times back up his coach's astonishing assessment. To put his personal best of 11.72sec in the 100m and 23.76sec in the 200m into context, it would make him as fast as any kid his own age in the United States - which is probably why the Michael Johnson Spire Athletics Institute in Ohio has made contact.
"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."
But James's biggest hurdle down the track could be his talent in rugby league. After helping Ulladulla win the state primary schools titles in league and touch football this year, NRL talent scouts also made their intentions known.
"He still doesn't know all the rules but he has got the attention of Parramatta, Newcastle, South Sydney and the Wests Tigers," Samara said.
Asked what he enjoyed most, James said: "Footy is more fun because you play with your mates but I want to be a runner. It just feels good to be in front."
And you should see him run.
There is a clip on YouTube where he anchors the final leg for Ulladulla to win the 4x100m state schools title this year. It shows James taking the baton what looks to be a good 20m behind the race leader before storming home with the most incredible anchor leg you are ever likely to see.
"It had to be between 15 and 20 metres and that is a huge, huge gap," Richardson said.
"You are talking a fifth of the distance."
Richardson only started coaching James last year after he almost won a national title without any proper training.
"He'd come second at nationals and I was told he did it with a very, very bad start, it might have been a stand-up start he'd used," Richardson said.
"And I thought immediately, if he is coming even in the top five at nationals and he is not doing the starts properly imagine what he can do if we can get that right.
"He has just got the build and the legs and just the natural propensity to running with a good technique without much interference.
"If he increases his speed on what he is running now which is 11.7 for electronic, he is going to be running 10.9s in the not-too-distant future which is incredible for someone his age."
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