Noah Lyles and Gout Gout to race each other for first time as date and venue confirmed

A date has finally been set for Gout Gout’s first race against Olympic 100-metre champion Noah Lyles.

Eighteen-year-old Australian Gout has taken the world of athletics by storm in recent months, with the teenager running a time of 19.67 seconds — an under-20 record — as he secured the 200-metre national title at the Australian Athletics Championships in April.

The record also means he was faster than current 100- and 200-metre world record holder Usain Bolt at the same age, with the Jamaican running 19.93 as an 18-year-old back in 2004.

Gout previously set the fastest time by a 16-year-old in 2024, recording 20.06 seconds, with many backing him to better Bolt’s long-standing sprint records, which have stood since 2009.

The Australian has already suggested that he will miss the Commonwealth Games in July in favour of focusing on the World Under-20 Championships in August.

However, before then, Gout will finally be able to test himself against the best sprinter on the planet at the Městský Stadion in Czechia on June 16.

Gout will be joined by the reigning 100-metre Olympic champion Lyles at the Ostrava Golden Spike, with the pair set to battle it out over a 150-metre distance.

Noah Lyles' true feelings on Gout Gout

Despite never competing against each other, Gout and Lyles have previously trained alongside one another in the winter of 2025.

Lyles spoke glowingly about Gout, saying: “He’s more talented than I was [at the same age].”

Speaking in 2025, the American said: “He’s an amazing kid — he’s got a great head on him, and he’s got a great team around him.

“It’s going to be interesting to see how he develops. The thing that 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, too, just seeing how they put some weight room on him as time develops, naturally — not all at once. But again, he’s got a great coach — she’s constantly looking to be a better coach and she’s constantly looking to do the best for him — so we’ll see. I’d say the future looks bright for him.”

Bolt provided a similar stance when discussing Gout’s future last month, with the Jamaican advising the youngster to stay focused on his career and avoid distractions.

Bolt told CNN: “At that young age, because I was there, you start getting pulled left and right, and then you forget track and field.

“Hopefully he has the right set of people to guide him and keep him focused on track and field, because the rest of the stuff will always be there.

“But if you mess up on track and field, then it all goes away.”