Gout Gout has been slammed by his familiar foe Erin Brown after footage showed a big gap between the sprinter and Olympic champion Noah Lyles.
The pair trained together with Lyles imparting his wisdom on the youngster.
Watch the biggest Aussie sports the best from overseas LIVE on Kayo Sports | New to Kayo? Join now and get your first month for just $1.
But one clip appeared to show there is a significant gulf in class between the pair – which Brown pounced on.
In the short sprint Lyles is quickest off the mark and leaves Gout Gout behind after 50 metres.
Brown believes that is a cause for concern for the Queensland sprinter since Lyles is known for slow starts.
In fact, he won 100m Olympic gold in Paris despite being last at the 40m mark.
“Mind you this is the guy who was dead last to 40m in the Olympics in the 100 vs the next Usain Bolt lol,” said Brown in response to the footage.
However like Lyles and Bolt, Gout Gout has built a reputation for his strong finishes.
And even at U20 level rivals have beaten him to 40m before trailing in his wake by the finish line.
His personal best of 10 seconds flat at just 18-years-old also shows he is no slouch, and it is not even his preferred race.
Gout Gout excels over 200m, running 19.67sec at the Australian Championships last month – eclipsing the fastest time Bolt ran at the same age.
His decision not to run in the 100m at the upcoming World Athletics Under 20s also hints that Gout Gout’s current focus is on the 200m.
“I’m really excited to get out there at World Athletics Under 20s,” he said.
“I know it’s a great stadium and place to run fast, and I feel confident I’ll be ready to step up and make Australia proud.
“I’ll be competing in the 200m, but I’m also excited to join in the 4x400m on the last day.”
