“Chase down Noah Lyles for sure” - Aussie teen sprinting sensation Gout Gout makes bold claim ahead of 2025 World Athletics Championships

Noah Lyles is the reigning 100m and 200m World Champion heading into 2025, and there are plenty of sprinters hungry to dethrone him. One of them is Australian teenage sprinting sensation, Gout Gout, who will be hoping to make his World Championships debut this September.

Gout first rose to fame in 2023, when he set a new Australian under-18 men's 200m record aged just 16. The sprinter has since been hailed as the ‘world's fastest teenager’ and has delivered multiple blockbuster performances, including a silver medal run in the 200m at the 2024 World U20 Championships, and a national record of 20.04s in the distance.

Recently, he appeared on the ‘Beyond the Records’ podcast, hosted by Noah Lyles, Grant Holloway, and Rai Benjamin. There, Holloway asked the teen about his ambitions for the 2025 World Championships, saying,

“Going into the World championships this year, you're 17, you'd be the youngest ever to win it. Obviously (points to Noah) tough competition. How do you feel going in there?”

Gout Gout responded with a bold claim, saying,

“I'm trying to show you what's up. I'm trying to come out there with a bang. Whatever I've got to do to show Noah I'm coming for that spot. So, obviously it's a learning experience, but deep down, I'm trying to get a medal for sure, or even make that final and be running up Noah or trying to chase Noah down for sure.”

For his part, Noah Lyles praised the youngster’s ambitions and welcomed the competition.

“That's what I love to hear. I want you to come up to me and say, ‘yeah, I'm going to take your spot’. Because if I hear somebody’s like ‘well maybe one day’, no, it's not one day. It's going to be today. And if it's not today it's the next day. And I'll be here every step of the way. Don't be scared to tell me your dreams, shout it from the top of the mountains, come after me.”

Noah Lyles vs Gout Gout: Who was faster as a 17-year-old

Gout Gout is undoubtedly one of the most promising young sprinters in the world of track and field. The 17-year-old Australian holds a personal best of 20.04s in the 200m, 10.17s in the 100m, and 6.98s in the 60m. He is a silver medalist in the U20 World Championships, and the second-fastest 200m runner in the U18 category.

Gout’s times make him a faster teenager than Noah Lyles. While Lyles was 17, he held personal bests of 20.71s in the 200m and 10.45s in the 100m.

However, Lyles has come a long way since 2014. The American is currently the third fastest 200m sprinter of all-time, holding a personal best of 19.31s, a time that has been outdone only by Usian Bolt and Yohan Blake. Lyles also boasts a personal best of 9.79s in the 100m.