The athlete as a method actor

Behind The Sport: Noah Lyles, Anna Hall, Grant Holloway and Gout Gout

Ahead of the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo this week, here is a recap of a recent project with four Adidas athletes. To follow their events check out the schedule at the end of this newsletter.

Creative Director: Ben Clement
Partnerships: Matt Willocks
Photographer/Motion: Ben Rayner + Felix Strosetzki
PR and Facilitation : Simone Francese

We’re all familiar with the hotel room editorial where it seems like we’re catching celebrities off-duty in a playful, intimate, and relatable space. An actor or musician reclining on white bed sheets or leaning casually on the balcony railing in their dressing gown. Their mannerisms, clothing, idiosyncratic snack choices, or any other little habits or tics – writers in glossy mags pounce on these to imagine what it might feel like to really know these people.

Athletes are celebrities too, entertainers who live their lives on the road, even if sports media seldom treats them that way. In fact, athletes are method actors – embodying their character even when the cameras aren’t rolling. Where does the performance start and end? These ideas drove our aesthetic: BTS vibes, casual hotel setting, shaky cam, low-fi graphics.

Noah Lyles

Up first is Noah, the current ‘World’s Fastest Man’ slash Olympic Champion and reigning double World Champion in the 100m and 200m. Understandably, he’s got ego to spare. He’s one of the loudest and rowdiest characters on the start line. When lined up for the 100m final in Paris, instead of quietly walking to his blocks like the competitors before him, he burst out onto the middle of the track from the tunnel and revved up the crowd.

He’s also had his fair share of challenges, summed up in an iconic post after winning gold in Paris:

“I have Asthma, allergies, dyslexia, ADD, anxiety, and Depression. But I will tell you that what you have does not define what you can become. Why Not You!”

Anna Hall

Earlier this year, Anna completed the second highest scoring Heptathlon in history, an event where you need to excel at seven different events in track and field – like Hyrox, but with actual technical skill! (For potential future partnership reasons, please note that this statement is a joke.)

She also has a degree in Business and Finance and two World Champs medals. When athlete and our reporter-in-residence Catriona Bisset surveyed the track and field athletes at the Paris Olympic Village on their “village crush”, everyone mentioned Anna Hall, regardless of gender.

Grant Holloway

Grant is the Olympic Champion of the 110m hurdles. He also won the last three World Championships. Flanked by an entourage, he gives the impression of a successful businessman in the hurdling industry. Bizarrely he was wearing skinny jeans? Anyway, with his winning record, we’d invest in whatever he’s selling.

Gout Gout

As a teenager, non-American, and least media-trained of the bunch, Gout’s interview stands out as perhaps being the closest to authentic, whatever that means. It’ll be interesting to witness how his ‘persona’ develops over time as he collects medals and increased media scrutiny. We asked everyone what the movie of their life would be called. Lyles: To My Last Breath, Hall: Overcoming, Holloway: Barriers. You can imagine the setbacks and injuries that comes with a storied career. Gout’s movie title? “TBC”.

These four interviews give an idea of the difference between the on- and off-track personas of four of the best athletes in the world. Some of these dual personas are more closely aligned than others. Or are they? After all, method acting is about blurring reality. Whatever it is, we’re entertained.

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Below is how to watch these athletes at the 2025 Tokyo World Athletics Championships from 13-21 September. In Australia you can watch it for free at SBS On Demand. All listed in AEST.

Noah and Gout (Men’s 200m)

Heats: 17 Sep, 21:15
Semis: 18 Sep, 22:02
Final: 19 Sep, 23:06

Anna (Women’s Heptathalon)

Day 1 - 19 Sep: 18:33 100m Hurdles, 19:20 High Jump, 21:30 Shot put, 22:38 200m
Day 2 - 20 Sep: 12:30 Long Jump, Javelin 20:00, 22:11 800m

Grant (Men’s 110m Hurdles)

Heats: 15 Sep, 21:20
Semis: 15 Sep, 22:05
Final: 16 Sep, 23:20