Noah Lyles is fast—blazing fast. But no matter how fast he runs, there’s still one name towering over him: Usain Bolt. The eight-time Olympic gold medalist has been the king of sprinting for over a decade, and Lyles has made it no secret—he’s coming for Bolt’s records. Before the Paris Olympics, he talked a big game about resetting history in the 100m. And while he tore up the track with a scorching 9.79, Bolt’s record stayed untouched. Still, Lyles walked away with gold, proving he was the man to beat. When asked months later if he’d ever break Bolt’s 100m and 200m records, he didn’t hesitate, “very soon.“

And what does the legend himself think? Well, Bolt’s been retired for over seven years, but it turns out, he might not be completely done. During his recent podcast appearance with Justin Gatlin and Rodney Green on the Ready Set Go podcast, Bolt shockingly stated that racing again was possible. “I’m ready, just for the fun of it,” he said. Gatlin approached the chance to ask for another race. Bolt responded with laughter upon hearing the question, “Nah man, Justin, him? He’s in too good of a shape. Bro, I see him doing starts all the time.” Even though Gatlin is unlikely to race again Bolt wants to compete against a certain selection of competitors.

“Me, you, Tyson Gay, Asafa Powell, Yohan Blake,” he said, listing some of sprinting’s biggest names. “I would definitely like to compete against Maurice Green, Ben Johnson. Let’s give Noah a spot too, just because I would love to race against him.” Green, hyping up the idea, reminded everyone, “He’s the fastest man in history, so he beat them all.”

Is Bolt going to don his racing shoes for a final time? Probably not. His thoughts about a possible return show us enough about Bolt’s way of thinking. The track world starts buzzing whenever this topic enters discussions. Lyles continues to strive toward breaking down those historical records. And if he ever does? By the way, Bolt may be watching other sprinters right now while also considering a possible return to sprint racing.

Before reaching the actual destination the internet reaches a state of full-blown firestorm. After the podcast clip achieved viral success fans immediately launched into the ongoing discussion about Bolt vs. Lyles. Shade is flying, comparisons are being made!

Fans fire back at Noah Lyles after Usain Bolt’s viral comments

The internet wasted no time throwing shade after Bolt’s podcast comments went viral. One fan joked, “Noah Lyles can never break Bolt’s record 😂.” Another added, “Not even sure Noah can beat Bolt NOW.” And someone else went all in: “Noah Lyles is corny af and will never come close to Bolt.” So, let’s fact-check—can Lyles really challenge the fastest man in history?

At the 2024 Paris Olympics, Noah Lyles ran an official 9.79 seconds to secure his position as the fastest human being on Earth. He achieved his personal record time of 9.79 seconds to triumph over his rivals in a heart-pounding finish. Although his performance reached impressive levels, it fell short of achieving the absolute pinnacle established by Bolt’s historic 9.58-second world record. The seven-foot distance between Lyles and Bolt would be the gap if these two athletes raced each other.

Now, Lyles’ real strength is in the 200 meters, where he holds a personal best of 19.31 seconds. That’s close, but still shy of Bolt’s 19.19 world record from 2009. Bolt didn’t just break records. He shattered them. Lyles is fast, no doubt. But compared to Bolt? He’s running in the rain while Bolt is the lightning.

One wrote, “I think it’s crazy that Noah said ‘Bolt, who?’ but that just shows that people who say ‘fame ruined him’ are wrong—that’s been his personality from the start.” Another took it even further: “Let me tell you all something… If anyone breaks Usain’s record, it don’t mean s–t until you do what he did. Three Olympics, back-to-back. His championships. Then you can talk. Don’t run up… Be respectful!!” Safe to say, this fan wasn’t here for any disrespect toward the sprinting GOAT. And Bolt himself made it clear he wasn’t thrilled with Lyles’ alleged “Usain Bolt who?” comment.

On the Ready, Set, Go podcast with former rival Justin Gatlin, the eight-time Olympic gold medalist didn’t hold back. “I remember when he [Lyles] just came out, and he said, ‘Usain Bolt who?’ I was like, ‘Bro, stop it,’” Bolt recalled. Normally, he lets comments slide, but this one hit differently. “I normally don’t say anything, but I was like, ‘If you don’t know who Usain Bolt is, you’re in the wrong sport.’”

Lyles later tried to clarify that his words were misunderstood, and Bolt acknowledged that, but the message was clear. “I respect everybody and understand you’ve got to aim high and you want to break records,” Bolt said. Still, he stressed the importance of honoring those who came before. “I would never disrespect these sprinters. These are the guys who set the platform for you to come down and add to it, to be better.” For Bolt, the legacy of track and field isn’t just about records—it’s about respect.