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Noah Lyles is one of those athletes who divides opinions. And people either love him or they don’t—no in-between. But since winning that 100m gold at the Paris Olympics last year, everyone has their eyes on him, and rightfully so. The 2025 season kicked off with high expectations. And with it comes the chance to break new records. But things did not go Lyles’s way exactly.

On January 18, his Jamaican rival, Kishane Thompson, wasted no time in making his mark. He kicked off his season in Spanish Town, Jamaica, with a solid 60-meter run in 6.48 seconds—a strong start that got people talking. For the Jamaican, it was quite good considering he had to settle for silver in Paris. But Lyles wasn’t about to let Thompson steal the spotlight.

On January 26, he opened his own 60m season at the RADD Invitational in Gainesville, Florida. Lyles crossed the line in 6.62 seconds, which put him 0.14 seconds behind Thompson’s opening time. While that might not seem like much, in the world of track and field, it’s a noticeable gap. Especially when you consider that Lyles’ personal best in the 60m is 6.43 seconds. Fans quickly took notice, and the pressure started building.

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As one fan put it, “attention-seeking Noah. He wasn’t supposed to start until Feb 2nd, lol. He’s only doing it because Kishane is getting all the attention.” Another fan went as far as saying, “He doesn’t deserve the gold medal.” But does Noah Lyles care? Of course not! For him, it was just a warm-up. The 60-meter distance served only as supplementary to his main competition goal. Amidst online voices criticizing his performance, Noah Lyles responded to a separate issue rather than his race time. What was it?

Noah Lyles sparks buzz with a cryptic Instagram update

Out of nowhere, Noah Lyles dropped a story on Instagram that got people talking. He reshared a post from a user called “only star left,” and the post was filled with rumors. It showed a packed stadium and had the caption, “My video only got 10K views.” The message was cryptic, and fans couldn’t help but wonder what it meant.

Was it about the pressure and being under so many eyes on him after his races? Because he knows, fans always have eyes on him. Did this criticism impact his mentality? Not a chance. Or is he depressed due to his recent performance? After all, the speedster is proud of his abilities. But there might be another reason for this post as well.

It might be about his YouTube channel. Either way, the post highlighted how loyal his fans are, supporting him or hating him, no matter what. But talking about his YouTube channel, he made it clear in the post that even if only 10k people are watching his podcast, those 10k are loyal, unlike the fake fans out there.

What’s your perspective on:

Is Noah Lyles feeling the heat from Kishane Thompson, or is he just warming up?

Have an interesting take?

The YouTube channel he’s been working on, launched in December 2024, features his ‘Beyond the Records’ podcast, which he hosts with fellow Olympic gold medalists Grant Holloway and Rai Benjamin. It’s a podcast where they share their stories beyond just sports. To date, they have posted 37 videos and have 6.41k subscribers.

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While the content is exciting, the views haven’t been stellar—his highest-viewed episode has 75k views, but many others are stuck around 10k or 20k, with some barely making it past 900 views. As one fan put it, “So less views.” Another added, “Noah’s takes are always weird.” But Noah fired back, and the message seemed to be about much more than just his podcast views—it was about loyalty.

Despite the mixed reception, Lyles’ massive Instagram following of 1.5 million shows his fans are with him, whether it’s cheering him on at the track or supporting him off it. But how did other legends react when they found out about his podcast? Last year, Justin Gatlin’s Ready Set Go podcast, with its 49.9k subscribers and reputation for highlighting legends, couldn’t stop buzzing about Lyles’ new podcast.

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Justin Gatlin kicked things off with excitement, saying, “We have a new podcast that’s in the track and field world, man.” Rodney Green jumped in, giving it even more love, saying, “They didn’t just talk about their accomplishments; they shared their struggles. That’s the part of the sport people don’t highlight enough, and it’s what makes their stories so real.”

With its raw storytelling and honest conversations, Beyond the Records Podcast is already a hit among track fans. In just a month, it’s made some serious waves, and it’s clear this podcast is only going up from here.

Have something to say?

Let the world know your perspective.

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  Debate

Debate

Is Noah Lyles feeling the heat from Kishane Thompson, or is he just warming up?