Champions Mindset: Noah Lyles and Gout Gout relish the challenge of subduing each other at World Championships in Tokyo

Despite being months before the start of the World Championships in Tokyo, track fans have an exciting race to anticipate as the world's fastest man Noah Lyles and Australian sprint sensation Gout Gout have openly accepted the challenge of subduing each other.

On Beyond The Records podcast anchored by Olympic 100mH champion Grant Holloway and Lyles himself, Gout Gout threw an open challenge to the American sprint king saying he's coming for his 200m title in Tokyo.

"I'm trying to show you what's up," replied the 17-year-old Australian 200m record holder when asked

"I'm trying to come out there with a bang," he continued, then Lyles interjected "That's what I love to hear". Gout continued "Whatever I gotta do to show Noah I'm coming for that spot. So obviously it's a learning experience but like deep down you know I'm trying to get a medal for sure or even make that final and be running up Noah or trying to chase Noah down."

Lyles who became the first man since Usain Bolt to win three gold medals at a single world championship, will be gunning to defend his titles from 2023 and graciously accepted the Australian's challenge.

"I want you to come up to me and say yeah I'm going to take your spot. Because if I hear somebody's is like well 'maybe one day', no it's going to be today. And if it's not today, it's the next day and I'll be here every step of the way. Like come on, you know don't be scared to tell me your dream. Shout to the top of the mountains, come after me," said the Olympic 100m champion.

Gout Gout is hyped as Usain Bolt's successor not just based on his physique likened to the legendary Jamaican, but his record-breaking times at 17 are impossible to ignore, hence the accolade.

He became the fastest Australian sprinter in 56 years when he ran an astonishing wind-aided 10.04s to win his 100m heat - the fourth-fastest all-conditions time in Australian history.

In the final, he shattered Sebastian Sultana’s U18 national record of 10.27s to a legal 10.17s, further cementing his name that he's well on the path to being the greatest sprinter of his country.

Gout Gout ran a jaw-dropping 20.04s in the 200m, to break Peter Norman's long-standing Australian national record of 20.06s clocked to win silver at the 1968 Olympics.

While the youngster still has a long way to go compared to Lyles' personal best of 19.31s and Letsile Tebogo's Olympic winning time of 19.46s in Paris, he surely can spring an upset and perhaps cherish his chances of medalling against the big guns at the World Championships in Tokyo.