Noah Lyles gave Gout Gout 'key piece of career advice' and it involves saying no
Sprinting sensation Gout Gout has revealed the key advice Noah Lyles told him as he bids to follow in the Olympic champion's footsteps.
Just 18, Gout has emerged as the next big thing in athletics after recording a series of lightning quick times in the 100m and 200m events.
As a 16-year-old, the Australian ran the 100m race at he Queensland Athletics Championships in March in a rapid 10.29 seconds - well and truly putting the world on notice.
But while Gout has his eyes set on emulating fastest man and eight-time Olympic gold medalist Usain Bolt, current speed king Lyles has been helping him out.
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Lyles, who won gold in the 100m event at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, is also an eight-time world champion - two of which came in Tokyo last year.
And though he may soon be rivals with Gout on the track, Lyles is already proving to be a valuable mentor.
During his summer holidays in 2025, Gout jetted out to train with fellow Adidas athlete Lyles for two weeks and was met with a new-level of intensity.
"The athletes there are obviously a lot faster and a lot stronger," he told Highflyer in an in-depth feature interview.
"So you always have to bring your A-game. You always have to, like, lock in and focus.”
The two will reunite again in a few months for another two-week training camp to get Gout ready for meets in Norway and Czech Republic before the under-20 world championships in Eugene, Oregon.
Lyles is a whole decade older than Gout and has already been imparting his wisdom, with one piece of advice standing out.
He explained: “Noah was telling me to always be myself and be level-headed, for sure but to learn how to say no, especially in situations with fans.”
Lyles had impressive times of 19.51s and 9.89s in the 200m and 100m events in 2025 respectively, performing at the kind of level wants to hit.
In his first race of 2026 in Brisbane, Gout conjured up a record-equalling time of 10.00 (+0.9) seconds - on par with compatriot Lachlan Kennedy's achievement in 2025.
His feat set a new Australian Under 20 record and adds to expectations ahead of the world under-20 championships later this year.
Although he was a semi-finalist in the 200 metres at the 2025 World Championships in Tokyo, Gout will not compete in the Commonwealth Games as he is prioritising the junior competition.
He will likely be one to watch at the 2027 World Athletics Championships in Beijing before the Olympics in Los Angeles a year later.
However an Olympics on home soil in 2032, by the time where he will be in 24 - could be his true arrival on the biggest stage.
Gout stated: "With the Brisbane 2032 Olympics coming up, I’m thinking about legacy and being a good role model".
Topics: Gout Gout, Noah Lyles
Josh Lawless