Noah Lyles Disagrees With Letsile Tebogo Over How Gout Gout Should Be Developed

Reigning Olympic 100m champion Noah Lyles has taken a different stance from Letsile Tebogo over Gout Gout’s development path.

While Letsile Tebogo believes the 18-year-old should continue competing against his age-group peers for now, Noah Lyles insists he should be tested against senior athletes to accelerate his growth.

The debate follows the Diamond League Meeting in Oslo, where Letsile Tebogo won the race, and Gout Gout finished sixth in 20.60 seconds.

"After the race, I wanted to talk to Gout Gout, but he is so busy with all the media," Letsile Tebogo said after the race.

"First and foremost, he should not get comfortable racing with the seniors. He still has a long way to go. He should, by all means, play with his age mates where he is a bit more comfortable, because the more he runs, the more he pushes, and the more injuries he is going to get."

On his part, Noah Lyles has advised the teenage sprint sensation to embrace top-level competition, saying progress in the sport comes from consistently testing oneself against elite athletes rather than staying within age-group races.

Noah Lyles argued that exposure to senior competition is essential for rapid development and long-term success on the global stage.

Reflecting on the demands of elite sprinting, Noah Lyles suggested that improvement only comes when athletes step into the highest level of competition and challenge themselves against established stars.

He emphasised that athletes who aspire to break major barriers must be willing to face pressure early, trust their abilities, and remain committed to their development path regardless of external criticism.

Noah Lyles further noted that athletes often grow faster when they are placed in demanding racing environments, adding that confidence and consistency are key factors in achieving breakthrough performances.

“You get used to racing against the big boys by actually racing them. You can’t learn to run with the big dogs if you don’t run with them. How are you going to improve if you never throw yourself into the fire? If he wants to do it, go for it,” Noah Lyles said.

“If you want to run under 20 seconds, go do it. But be confident in your plan, keep moving forward, and don’t worry about what other people say. The people criticising you are usually the ones who missed their chance.”