2023 was an awesome year for sprinters. Especially for Noah Lyles and Sha’Carri Richardson. But while both of them experienced gold at the 2023 World Championships in Budapest, the same can’t be said for 2024. While on one hand we had Noah winning the gold in 100m once in Paris, Richardson had to settle for a silver. As if to pour gasoline on a fire, Lyles even commented, “Not the fastest,” for his compatriot. But now, six months down the line, was his claim just regular Noah trash talk, or did it have some substance?

For that, we need to go back to 2023. Back in the Hungarian capital, both athletes won big. While Richardson led Team USA to a gold in the relays along with a bronze in 100m, Lyles ended up with the 100m gold in the men’s category. This earned them both USATF Athlete of the Year honors. But moving onto 2024, things looked quite different for Richardson. She had lost the 100-meter finals to Alfred, where she was touted as the favorite. This led to Lyles’s comment. But while things had died down, Lyles’s most recent podcast appearance reignited it.

On February 26th, during The Toure Show Episode 468 podcast, host Toure brought up the 2025 World Athletics Championships (happening September 13-21 in Tokyo). When discussing the potential matchups, he mentioned Sha’Carri Richardson’s fastest racing, and that’s when Noah Lyles jumped in with a bold take: “Well, Sha’Carri Richardson is not the world’s best… Julien Alfred is.”

It sounds like they were talking about the Paris Olympics, where Saint Lucian sprinter Julien Alfred, who trains away from home in Austin, Texas, shocked the world by taking 100m gold over Richardson, running a lifetime best of 10.72. That win shook up the sprint rankings. But Alfred didn’t stop there. She dominated the 2024 season, winning the World Indoor 60m title and the Diamond League crown as well.

Basically, she had receipts to back up her Olympic gold. Now, if we’re looking strictly at the fastest times, Sha’Carri had the fastest 100m of 2024 with 10.71s, just 0.01s quicker than Alfred’s best. But here’s the thing: When it counted, in the Olympic final, Sha’Carri Richardson didn’t deliver, and Alfred took full advantage.

That’s when Lyles doubled down, making it clear he wanted to see this settled on the track. “Now we have a World Championship winner in Sha’Carri and an Olympic champion in Julien Alfred. Those two need a race—it will be the real world’s fastest one, “Lyles said. In simple words, speed alone does not define success in competition.

That is because everything depends on your mental and physical state under high-pressure situations. Sha’Carri possesses unmatched skills when it comes to delivering top-notch performances. Lyles continues to provide his motivational speech with the same essential message. He wants a Sha’Carri Richardson vs. Julien showdown, and honestly, who doesn’t? But while Lyles may believe Sha’Carri isn’t the fastest, there’s one thing he and Richardson agree on!

Sha’carri Richardson won what truly matters in track and field

Sha’Carri Richardson and

Noah Lyles aren’t just about running fast—they’re about running the sport. Both believe track and field needs more personality, more energy, and way more swagger to truly captivate fans. Richardson, never one to shy away from the spotlight, broke it down on Sprint Season One: “Having a persona in this sport helps with the reality of what you have to go through and deal with.“

Translation? Speed alone does not define success in competition because everything depends on your mental and physical state under high-pressure situations. But Lyles also shared his views on it! In an interview with GQ, he urged track athletes to make stronger improvements. “How are we going to shift the idea of track and field in people’s minds to where this is entertainment?”

His inspiration? The GOAT of track personality, Usain Bolt, proved that confidence isn’t bold—it’s magnetic. Lyles even shouted out Kishane Thompson for hyping up the crowd before the Paris Olympics 100m final: “Kishane comes down yelling, and I’m like, ‘Oh, hold on, that’s me!’”For him, the sport thrives when athletes bring their full personalities to the track.

Richardson agrees, giving major credit to her coach, Dennis Mitchell, for keeping her locked in. “He is the best. You can quote me on that,” she said. At the end of the day, speed gets you medals, but personality makes you unforgettable.