A few milliseconds changed everything. And just like that, the 17-year-old Gout Gout’s attempt misfired. Or did it? Well, the Australian teen’s manager, James Templeton, had previously voiced bold ambitions. Breaking a time under 20 seconds in the 200m? “That’s always on the cards,” Templeton had claimed. But it turns out, it’s always easier said than done. Because what happened at the Queensland Athletics Championships 2025 this Sunday was absolutely surprising. Did Noah Lyles‘ teen rival just fall short in his claims?

Gout Gout just ran his first 200m race of the season this Sunday. So far in 2025, the Australian had just run a 400m and a 100m. But ahead of the Stawell Gift showdown next month, Noah Lyles’ rival has now tested himself in the 200m waters too. If we recall what his manager had said a few days back, Gout Gout was touted as a heavy favorite to go sub-10 in the 100 meters and sub-20 in the 200 m. But it turns out that instead of earning bragging rights, the teen failed to keep his promise because of a razor-thin technicality!

Yes! As per the latest update, Gout Gout ran a blistering 20.05s 200m time in the heats at the Queensland Athletics Championships. This was good enough for him to be the world leader across the 200m in all age brackets. Yet, this was still 0.01s behind his personal best. And marginally far from his sub-20 promise. But the finals changed that. The teen representing the Tigers Athletic Club clocked a brilliant 19.98 in the final to beat Zaine Leigh (22.10) and Liam Atkinson (22.12) by entire seconds. Wait. Don’t think he’s done it already!

With his latest 19.98s run, Gout Gout now has the fastest 200m by an Australian in all conditions. Agreed. However, there’s a catch. Gout Gout’s 19.98s time is not going to be counted as a record since the run was wind-assisted with tailwinds measuring at +3.6 m/s. And the rule says that in athletics competitions, only times set with wind assistance of below +2 m/s are eligible to be considered for records. So yes, in a way, he did fall short of the mark. And he did fall short of his promise to go sub-20. What a narrow shave. Noah Lyles’ rival ran an incredible time, but it ended up being deemed illegal for a +3.6 m/s wind behind him.

Well, conditions while running truly matter. And this is exactly what Gout Gout’s manager, James Templeton, had predicted earlier. He’d said, “He’s [Gout Gout] not going to do anything like that into a negative wind. I’d say ’28 degrees, between one and a half and two meters at his back, and a nice start, and he’s feeling great.” Similar conditions did conjure up during Gout Gout’s run in the heats this Sunday. With a wind speed of +1.4 m, he nearly touched his Australian record of 20.04 from December 2024. But things turned volatile in the finals. The wind went overboard, and that changed everything.

But there are a few things that Gout Gout can still brag about. First, the lowering trend in his 200m timings shows that the Australian teen is really closing in on Usain Bolt’s fastest 200m time at the same age of 19.93s. Secondly, if not Noah Lyles, Gout Gout did beat the 2025 200m NCAA lead, Makanakaishe Charamba, who ran a 20.13s in Texas last month.

But one thing is clear. Gout Gout’s sub-20s time doesn’t stand ground. So, yeah, Noah Lyles still has the upper hand. Also, Gout Gout may have spent time training alongside Noah Lyles in Florida in mid-January, but he still has a long way to go before he knocks the Olympic bronze medalist’s timings. But if you ask Gout Gout, he’s ready for the challenge already!

When Gout Gout issued Noah Lyles a challenge

If you ask Gout Gout one thing that’s on his cards for 2025, it’ll be medaling at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo. If you think this is confidence, wait till you see what he thinks of Noah Lyles. Gout Gout made his intent clear in February 2025. He’s coming for Noah Lyles’ titles and his world gold medals.

Gout Gout boasted, “I am trying to show you what’s up, I am trying to come out there with a bang.” He’d also thrown down a feisty challenge for Noah Lyles: “Whatever I’ve got to do to show Noah I am coming for that spot [I will do]!” And Lyles hadn’t backed out either. He’d said, “That’s what I love to her.”

But when it came to living up to his word, Gout Gout was crushed by a small technicality. Whereas for Noah Lyles? He’s still running faster than the Australian teen. What do you think? Can Gout Gout be hailed for this attempt, or are you sticking with the rules and deeming it null and void? Let us know below!