Justin Gatlin and Bernard Williams believe the 17-year-old Australian is earning his stripes the right way by avoiding to race the big fish, like Noah Lyles, this early.
At just 17, Australian sprinting prodigy Gout Gout turned heads at the 2025 Meeting Herculis EBS in Monaco, clocking a wind-affected 20.10 seconds in the under-23 men’s 200m invitational.
Despite racing outside the Diamond League program, Gout’s performance was one of the highlights of the evening — but not without controversy.
While American world champion Noah Lyles and Botswana’s rising star Letsile Tebogo battled it out in the main Diamond League 200m event, Gout’s absence from that elite lineup raised eyebrows.
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Some critics online suggested the young Aussie may have deliberately avoided direct competition with the world’s best — a claim flatly rejected by American sprint legends Justin Gatlin and Bernard Williams.
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Gout Gout & Justin Gatlin
Speaking on the Ready Set Go podcast hosted by Rodney Green, Justin Gatlin — Olympic gold medalist and former world champion — defended Gout’s choice to compete in a developmental race.
“Me and Bernard grew up in an era where we raced in B races,” said Gatlin. “And if you run fast enough in a B race — not saying this would happen — but if you run fast enough, you could end up in that A race pot. You’ve got to earn your stripes and move your way up.”
Gatlin stressed that Gout’s approach isn’t about avoiding competition — it’s about smart progression.
“Him being at those races and maybe not facing off against those guys just yet — that’s him earning his stripes.
“That’s him saying, ‘Okay, I’ll build into it.’ What if he jumped in that race, Rod, and got fifth? First time overseas, never been to Monaco — those are all excuses.”
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Gatlin’s point: a rough debut at the top level could do more harm than good to a young sprinter’s confidence and momentum.
Bernard Williams: ‘This is Development — Just Like the G-League’
Two-time Olympic medalist Bernard Williams echoed Gatlin’s stance, offering a basketball analogy:
“The B races, to me, are almost like the G-League in the NBA,” Williams said. “The G-League helps athletes develop.
“Not all of them are stars yet, but it gives them a platform to showcase their skills, get footage, and build confidence.”
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Williams argued that throwing a young athlete into the fire too early could be damaging.
“Let’s say he jumped in the A race and finished fifth or sixth — that could mess with your confidence. Every rookie has taken an ass whooping and thought, ‘Yo, I gotta get my stuff together.’ Even Usain Bolt went through that. Everybody’s been there.”
He concluded with a message of patience:
“It’s cool for development, but there’s nothing like racing when you’re confident.”
Gout Gout’s performance in Monaco may not have come against the top names in the sport, but it was a statement nonetheless.
With the World U20 Championships and future senior international meets on the horizon, his trajectory is being closely watched — and supported — by legends of the sport who understand what it takes to reach the top.
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