Noah Lyles invites Usain Bolt's 'successor' for intense training in January

Australian sprint sensation Gout Gout, touted as Usain Bolt's successor, has received an exclusive invitation to train with Noah Lyles and his coach Lance Brauman in Florida this January.

Gout has made major news headlines globally since his viral video emerged of the young Queenslander destroying a field of schoolboy sprinters with his strides unbelievably reminiscent of Bolt.

Less than a week later, he underlined his potential at the Queensland All Schools Athletics Championships in Brisbane, where he clocked a blazing new personal best of 20.29s (1.2) to breathtakingly take down Aidan Murphy’s 20.41s Australian U20 Record and become the fastest 200m sprinter from his country in 31 years.

New FKF boss warned against pettiness and dismissing dissenting voices

His record-breaking performance made him the fourth-fastest in Australian and World U18 history behind Erriyon Knighton (19.84s), Bolt (20.13s), and Puripol Boonson (20.19s), further stamping his name as a future world beater just like Bolt.

With an eye on hitting the qualifying standard of 20.16s for next year's World Championships in Tokyo and surpassing Bolt’s best under-18 mark of 20.13s, Gout and his coach Di Sheppard through Adidas have secured an invitation from the world's fastest man Lyles and his coach to join their training group in Florida for a few weeks in January.

Speaking to The Guardian, Sheppard described the camp as a significant learning experience for both athlete and coach.

Usain Bolt reveals how his friendship with Tyson Gay turned sour

“It’s a chance to see what it takes to reach the top and to learn how to handle challenges, like navigating media scrutiny,” she said.

Before heading to Florida, Gout will compete at the Australian All Schools Championships in Brisbane. He aims to break the national U18 100m record of 10.27 seconds, held by Sebastian Sultana.

His current personal best of 10.29 seconds, achieved in March, suggests that with favorable conditions, he could set a new benchmark.

The upcoming training stint with Lyles is expected to refine Gout’s technique and mental approach as he transitions into the international spotlight.

With his record-breaking performances and an opportunity to train alongside one of the world’s best, Gout Gout’s journey to becoming a global sprinting powerhouse is just beginning.