Flett (16) admires Jamaican Usain Bolt, who broke two world records when winning gold medals in the 100m and 200m at the Beijing Olympics.
"He's exciting," Flett said.
"He's got top-end speed rather than just explosiveness out of the blocks."
Flett was part of the Otago Boys High School 4 x 100m team that broke the junior boys record at the New Zealand secondary schools championships last year.
At last month's championships in Hamilton he was competing in the senior boys grade for the first time and won a silver medal in the 200m in a personal-best time of 22.59sec.
He was also a key member of the Otago Boys teams that won silver medals in the 4 x 100m and 4 x 400m relays. Flett, who is coached by Megan Merrilees, will compete in the 100m and the two relays in Sydney.
Merrilees will be in Sydney as coach of the New Zealand athletics team.
The other Otago athletes in the team are 16-year-old Biddy Skerten (Columba College), who will compete in the 400m, 400m hurdles and the two relays, and Rebekah Greene (St Hildas), who followed up her gold medal at the Pacific Schools Games in Canberra last month by winning two medals at the New Zealand secondary schools championships in Hamilton.
Greene (14) won a gold medal in the junior girls 3000m in 10min 34.77sec and a bronze medal in the 1500m in a personal best time of 4min 39.56sec.
She is coached by Jim Baird.
Swimmer Katie Kenneally (Taieri College) is poised to make her mark on the international scene in Sydney.
Kenneally (17), who is a member of the Osca squad coached by Gennadiy Labara and who has been swimming competitively for five years, will compete in the 200m and 400m individual medley and the 100m and 200m breaststroke at Sydney.
Kenneally won bronze medals in the 50m breaststroke (32.92sec), 100m breaststroke (1min 11.08sec) and 200m breaststroke (2min 32.88sec) at the New Zealand open summer short course championships in Christchurch last month, all in personal best times.
In the 200m breaststroke she broke the Otago open women's record in both the heat and final.
The record had been held by 2002 Commonwealth Games silver medallist Liz van Welie.
Otago cyclist Charlotte Kelly (16), another pupil from Taieri College, made a significant breakthrough in her first season of track cycling by dominating the under-17 girls grade, winning four gold medals at the New Zealand championships in Invercargill.
The gold medals came in the 2000m individual pursuit, 8km points race, match sprints and 5km scratch race.
Kelly also won a silver and bronze medal at the national secondary school championships.
Also in the New Zealand team for Sydney are basketballers Samara Gallaher, who was an under-19 Junior Tall Fern last year, and Caroline Crowley, and Calum Brash (canoe-kayak).
The aim of the Youth Olympics is to provide future Olympians with an environment reminiscent of an Olympic Games and promote the Olympic ideals of friendship, solidarity and fair play.
The event has the patronage of the International Olympic Committee.
The sports programme has increased to 21 sports and disciplines this year and the number of participants invited has increased to 1800 athletes and more than 600 team officials from more than 20 countries.
The event starts on Wednesday and ends next Monday.
New Zealand will be represented by 180 athletes in 16 sports.
