Noah Lyles and the “magical” 200m final you can’t miss, despite Gout Gout out
The 17-year-old Australian fell in the semifinals, and his “older brother” ran 19.51, letting himself chill in the final meters.
“He has enormous potential,” sprinting legend Usain Bolt said of Gout Gout. “But the key to his progress will be knowing how to handle his mind.”
The Australian sprinter was knocked out in the Tokyo semifinals of the 200 meters after finishing fourth in 20.36, having earlier placed seventh in the 100 meters with 10.55.
“He’s very young – remember, he’s only 17,” noted the Australian federation. The “Gout Gout moment” left the Olympic Stadium oddly subdued, and not because of the rain and drop in temperature. But it’s worth remembering that the Aussie, the son of South Sudanese parents, is being carefully developed for the 2032 Brisbane Games, where he will be 24. By Los Angeles 2028 he may already be fighting for medals – or even at the 2027 World Championships in Beijing. Everyone wants to take special care with Gout Gout.
There’s no rush, but the sprinter has arrived, and his similarities to Bolt are striking. From their shared height and powerful frame – despite Gout being a “bag of bones” – to their eerily vertical stride with the lifted knee. Imagine a stork running, and you get the picture.
For now, those chasing gold in Japan are the expected favorites, led by the Americans Noah Lyles – an astonishing 19.51 in the semifinals while easing off in the final meters – and Kenneth “Kung Fu” Bednarek (19.88), along with Jamaica’s Bryan Levell (19.78). Also in the mix is the reigning Olympic champion, Botswana’s Letsile Tebogo, who trailed Levell in 19.95. Tebogo is considered the “big brother” of Gout Gout after several joint training camps organized by their shared sponsor, Adidas.
He wants to show Bolt that he isn’t “crazy,” as the Jamaican once said, for claiming he can one day break the world record of 19.19 set in Berlin in 2009. In Friday’s final (3:06 p.m. ET), with all eight qualifiers having run under 20 seconds, Lyles is determined to show the Jamaican that over 200 meters he can challenge him across space and time.“It’s going to be a great war,”warned Bednarek.
“I surprised myself – I didn’t expect 19.51. I slowed down in the last 20 meters and still… In the final I’ll run it all the way through. The goal was to take the curve well and win the heat. The message I send today is that you can’t beat me. Don’t miss the final – it’s going to be magical,” Lyles said in the mixed zone.
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