‘Amazing’: sprint superstar’s nod of approval to Gout
John Salvado |
Nothing that Noah Lyles has seen in Gout Gout during the past week in Tokyo has changed the great American’s sprinter’s mind.
Australia has a generational sprint talent on its hands.
Just give it time.
Gout’s global senior championships debut came to an end in the 200m semi-finals on Thursday night, with his time of 20.36 seconds well short of what was needed to advance to the title race.
He also didn’t achieve his stated goals of bettering his own national record of 20.02 seconds and becoming the first Australian to dip under the 20-second barrier.
That’s all good, says multiple world champion and Paris Olympics 100m gold medallist Lyles.
“He’s more talented (at 17) than I was,” he said, laughing.
For the record Lyles ran the 100m/200m double in 10.14 and 20.18 seconds at that age at the 2015 US junior championships.
“Gout’s an amazing kid. He’s got a great head on him, a great team around him,” he said.
“It’s going to be interesting to see how he develops.
“The thing I always look for when I’m looking at younger talent is ‘hey, are you just going to be able to train into shape?’
“Because when you’re in high school you’re able to get races all the time, whenever you want.
“But as a pro, you’ve got to come prepared already.
“And then, just seeing how they put some weight room on him, as time develops, naturally.”
Gout and his coach Di Sheppard are very much on the same page as Lyles, now at the height of his physical powers at the age of 28.
Gout is a lean-framed schoolboy – albeit a ridiculously talented one.
“The biggest eye-opener is knowing that I can compete at a young age against the best men in the world,” he said.
“It definitely makes me hungry, knowing that I’m just a kid right now, but knowing that I can compete as a kid.
“And the thing I have on them is time.
“They may not have 15 years — but I’ve got 15 years.
“I know that if I can do this at 17, then I can do this at 25 and I’ll be even better at 25.”
He’ll be much bigger by then too.
“I can definitely compete with a skinny frame, but getting bigger is one of the things that’s going to help me, especially with my blocks start,” he said.
“Knowing that I can get that strength and execute my race plan even better and get faster times.”
Gout and Lyles met for the first time at a training camp in Florida early this year organised by their mutual sponsor adidas.
“Whatever I’ve got to do to show Noah I am coming for that spot (I will do),” Gout told Lyles on the American’s Beyond the Records podcast back in January.
“Obviously, it’s a learning experience but deep down I’m trying to get a medal for sure or even make that final (at the Tokyo world championships) and be running up Noah or trying to chase Noah down.”
The American showman loved Gout’s confidence then and now.
And even if he came up just short in his bid to become the youngest man to qualify for a world championships 200m final, the Gout story is just getting started.
AAP
