Australian sprint prodigy Gout Gout, an 18-year-old from Queensland, has joined forces with Olympic 200m champion Noah Lyles for an explosive training partnership dubbed a “cheat code.”

Record-Breaking Rise

Gout Gout recently claimed the national 200m title in an under-20 world record time of 19.67 seconds. This remarkable performance would have secured bronze at the Paris Olympics, surpassing even Lyles’ finish in that event.

Lyles holds the Olympic 100m title with a blistering 9.79 seconds. Gout Gout aims to shatter his personal best of 10.00 seconds in the 100m, having dipped under 10 seconds twice with excessive tailwinds.

Training Session Highlights

Lyles posted a 26-second video of their intense short-burst drills, captioning it: “This tag team is a cheat code.” In the clip, responding to “Find your why,” Lyles motivates: “Why are you running? Why do you want to be the best? What are you gonna do once you become the best? I don’t see why we stop winning. Seems to be working so far.”

Trainer’s Insights

Gout Gout’s trainer, Di Sheppard, who first spotted his talent on a playground, recalls her initial reaction: “I looked at him and just went ‘Oh my god’. Gut punch, it was just like this kid’s the real deal.”

She told the junior school headmaster: “Watch, I’m going to make him a champion.” Sheppard prefers to stay out of the spotlight, contrasting Gout Gout’s ease with attention: “Good cop, bad cop.”

On concerns about fame and money, Sheppard jokes: “I think the only time we’ll have trouble is if it’s a girl that I don’t like. I’d go to his mum, ‘She’s gotta go!’”

Upcoming Competitions

Gout Gout heads to the U20 World Championships in Oregon this August. He opts for the 200m and 4x400m relay, skipping the 100m and the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.