Teen sprint sensation Gout Gout has already backed up his bold challenge to world and Olympic champion Noah Lyles by achieving a feat the American sprint star has yet to match. At the Joanna Stone Shield meet in Brisbane on Saturday, Gout clocked an impressive 46.20 seconds in a rare 400m appearance, nearly a full second faster than Lyles’ personal best over the distance and the fastest under-18 time by an Australian in 35 years.
This performance comes shortly after Gout’s return from a Florida training camp with Lyles and his coach, Lance Brauman. During their time together, Gout and Lyles exchanged friendly banter on a podcast, with Gout declaring his ambition to challenge the American, possibly as soon as this year’s World Championships in Tokyo.
Gout’s promising sprint campaign is being guided by coach Di Sheppard, who emphasized that Saturday’s run was merely a time trial to assess Gout’s speed endurance. Despite his success, there are no immediate plans for the Queensland-based 100m and 200m standout to shift focus to the 400m.
To highlight the significance of Gout’s time, the current 400m world lead stands at 44.97 seconds, set by Jamaica’s Zandrion Barnes, while reigning Olympic champion Quincy Hall clocked 46.98 at Gout’s age.
In December, at just 16 years old, Gout broke the Australian men’s national 200m record with a blistering 20.04 at the Australian All Schools Championships. He also recorded a world-class 100m time of 10.04, albeit with the assistance of an illegal tailwind.
Gout’s next competitions include the Queensland Championships in mid-March, followed by the Maurie Plant Meet in Melbourne on March 29. He will also compete at the Australian Championships in Perth and the iconic Stawell Gift handicap race in April.
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