Veteran Coach Warns Gout Gout Over Facing Noah Lyles and Kenny Bednarek in Elite Showdowns: 'Tebogo Just Exposed It'

A prominent Australian sprint coach has voiced serious concerns for the future of teenage phenom Gout Gout, urging him to pull out of upcoming showdowns with some of the world's fastest men to avoid shattering his confidence.

Coach Roger Fabri fears that facing athletics titans like Noah Lyles and Kenny Bednarek in the coming weeks could be disastrous for Gout's career following a difficult Diamond League debut.

The 18-year-old Australian received a stark reality check in Oslo last week, finishing sixth in the 200m with a time of 20.6 seconds.

The performance was nearly a full second slower than his personal best, set in Sydney in April. The race was won by Paris Olympic 200m gold medal favourite Letsile Tebogo, who clocked a season's best of 19.84 despite visibly easing up before the finish line.

After the race, Tebogo reportedly advised Gout to "play with his age mates where he is a bit more comfortable."

Gout is currently scheduled to compete against reigning Olympic 100m champion Lyles in Czechia next week. Following that, he is slated to face Tebogo again, along with two-time Olympic 200m silver medallist Bednarek, at the Prefontaine Classic in early July.

However, Fabri believes Gout should heed Tebogo's advice and focus on junior competitions for now.

"What I would do, is if there’s any way of getting out of it, do it," Fabri told Code Sports regarding Gout's upcoming races. "Go back to the 20s and get the confidence back up."

Fabri expressed deep concern over the psychological impact of the Oslo race. "He would’ve walked off the track and would have been asking himself questions. Anyone who tells you anything different is lying," he stated.

"They can’t put that down to a bad day. A bad day is 20.1 or 20.2 — this is horrendous. He’s gotta be second-guessing himself."

The coach warned of a potential domino effect if Gout continues to face the world's elite. "If he’s got a demon inside his head, Tebogo just exposed it. And Noah will create another one, and Bednarek creates another one," Fabri explained.

"It’s damn worrying. I don’t know anyone, who, getting demolished three times, it wouldn’t affect them."

Gout is set to compete at the Junior World Championships in August, and Fabri believes the next two months could be a defining period for his career.

"Confidence, when you lose it, is very hard to rebuild," he said. "It gains momentum, but if it doesn’t come, it just starts snowballing, and then it turns into an avalanche and you can’t get out of it."

Fabri suggested a strategic retreat from the spotlight. "I would just pull him out of the limelight, come back via the Juniors, win that at least and then start again," he advised.

"But if he goes and gets beat by Noah and Kenny — which he will — and then is down on confidence and gets beat in the Under 20s, I don’t think he’ll have the public’s support."

While a strong supporter of Gout's talent and charisma, Fabri worries the immense pressure may be too much for the young sprinter to handle.

"I think the sport needs Gout," he said. "But they’ve given him a label that I don’t know if he can live up to. That’s the pressure and this is the result. There’s a lot of pressure on this guy, and I think he just got a taste of what’s around the corner."

Fabri remains skeptical that Gout can reverse his form in time for his next high-profile races. "Not many people turn around form in a week. I’ve never seen it," he said.

"I don’t know if he thinks he’s going to find 10 metres in a week, but it’s not going to happen. Unless he’s carrying an injury or illness, the next few weeks could make or break him."