Challenge from a 17-year-old athlete? Did Noah Lyles see that in his wildest dreams? Probably not! The six-time world champion is about taking the fight to the track and winning it. Any examples? In the Paris Olympics, Lyles didn’t have the clear tag of being the favorite to win the men’s 100m final. Instead, his Jamaican rival, Kishane Thompson, had the upper hand in the event after registering world-leading timing last year. But the American athlete didn’t pay much heed to that. 

Noah Lyles remained firm in the men’s 100m final under the clear August sky in the French capital, and his determination let him become the first American champion in the men’s 100m Olympic final after 2004. Besides, he was the one who continuously threw challenges to Usain Bolt‘s records. He, in fact, aimed to make it four-pit at the Paris Olympics, dethroning Bolt from the record of having a three-pit on the grandest stage. So, can such an athlete receive a challenge from a teenage sensation? Well, Noah Lyles did, and the words came from none other than Gout Gout. 

Last year, the 17-year-old Australian sensation went past Usain Bolt’s age-16 world record in the 200m event. Gout took 20.04 seconds to secure the title. Also, his timing marked him as the Australian senior record holder in the event. A massive achievement, for sure! And now, Gout is eyeing a bigger prize as he wants to defeat Noah Lyles on the track. 

On February 5, the Instagram handle of ‘Beyond The Records’ shared a clip of Gout Gout giving an interview to Noah Lyles and Grant Holloway. In the interaction, the Australian phenom said, “I’m trying. I’m trying to get a medal for sure or even make that final and be running up Noah or trying to, trying to chase Noah down for sure.” And what platform did he mention? The Big Apple: 2025 World Athletics Championships. 

If you’re an avid follower of track and field, you’re likely aware of Noah’s accomplishments at the 2023 World Championships held in Budapest. To provide some context, two years prior, Noah achieved a remarkable three-peat in the Hungarian capital. He established himself as a true competitor. Now, he observes someone striving to take “that spot.” Ultimately, Noah Lyles now faces a contender who aspires to unseat him. How should he respond to this?

In the conversation, the reigning Olympic champion took the challenge playfully. At first, he said, “That’s what I love to hear,” after learning about the fresh challenge. Later, he added a few more words to explain his mindset. He conceded, “I want you to come up to me and say, ‘Yeah, I’m gonna 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.” A challenge in the response to the key challenge? No, absolutely not!

Instead, the Florida native athlete shared his attitude as the responsible guardian of the budding talent. How? The next minute in the conversation, Noah said, “Every step of the way, like come on, you know, don’t be scared to tell me your dream. Shout from the top of the mountains. Come after me.” So, the Queenslander has an enormous opportunity to go with Noah on the track. And fortunately, he had some invitations around it. 

Noah Lyles has the talent under his wing

Last year, Gout Gout took a gigantic leap in solidifying his feet in track and field sports. On October 28, he signed a professional deal with Adidas. The news generated a lot of waves. Initially, there had been comparisons of him with the great Usain Bolt, and the deal intensified the comparison. How? The Jamaican legend had his professional deal signed at 16. So is the Australian speedster on the same route as Bolt had been almost two decades ago? It is obviously debatable! But the professional deal has worked tremendously in some other ways so far. Such as?

The professional deal with Adidas has opened the gate for Gout‌ to train with Noah Lyles in Florida. At 17, he has the option to watch Lyles on the track closely and take tips from Lance Brauman, Lyles’ coach, directly. Who gets such chances at such an early age? Gout’s manager seemed to know the answer. In an interview with ABC Sport, James Templeton, the manager, said in November, “We have the opportunity to go to Florida and join the training group of Lance Browman and Noah Lyles. There’s about, gosh, 16 or 18 top sprinters there. And we’ll be heading over for two to three weeks.” Gout is on cloud nine now! He has the training opportunity and the offer from a towering track personality. The fans will wait to see everything fall into place.