‘Track and field is a dying sport!’ Noah Lyles voiced this loaded statement in 2024, but standing in 2025, things seem otherwise. Yes, money has been a major problem in the sport, but with the recent attempts, things are changing (slowly, but surely). But at the end of the day, that’s subjective. Some have still been struggling, while others like the women’s 100m hurdles Olympics champion have started laying the foundations of a dream life. Yes, she ticked a major personal milestone recently that defies Lyles’ opinion!

Masai Russell was never different from the crowd. In a sit-down interview with Ryan Clark, Fred Taylor, and Channing Chowder, she’d remarked, “It’s [Track and field] not a high-paying sport; it’s not a highly watched sport like football or basketball.” Well, like Olympics champion Lyles, even she wasn’t oblivious to the downside that emerged as a part and parcel of the track life. Yet, her mentality, “Money’s always going to come if you’re doing what you love,” may have helped. Today, she’s built the dream abode of her life at just 24 and she has a lot to thank for.

To date, Masai Russell has one video pinned on her TikTok, from December 2024 and that’s nothing but her flaunting the beautiful new house she bought and remodeled in the blink of an eye. Standing in what looks like her living room, Masai Russell does a 12-second happy dance as her “House came together in 3 days [emoji].” While the happiness was visible on her face, the gratitude she holds for this life came through in her caption, “thanks to everyone who had faith in me.”

This is every bit an antithesis to what Noah Lyles opines. He’s often bashed this Olympics sport for not having enough visibility, money, or brand exposure. Recently, he claimed, that he doesn’t make enough money to hire his own security 247. He’d also asked Adidas for sneakers, claiming that there was no money in spikes. And when Kenny Bednarek stated the prices of flying to the Paris Olympics in 2024, Noah Lyles agreed, “It’s hard for all of us man.”

But Masai Russell’s ticked all those boxes, regardless. Firstly, as part of the University of Kentucky student-athlete program, Russell has held NIL deals with 20+ brands like WWE, Hulu, Eastbay, etc. That’s made her substantial money. On top of that, she was the Olympics 100m hurdles champion in Paris, which means, she racked up $60,000 from her Paris trip. Also, when she competed at the womens-only track event Athlos NYC, she bagged $10,000 for a bronze finish. Although, she surely wanted more!

And all these materialistic tick-offs were no flukes. Masai Russell had made a strategic vision board for 2024, and a lot of those plans fortunately came true. She gifted herself a Mercedes and became a homeowner at 24. These are no feats! But she isn’t the only one who’s made it so far. There are many more who are living the life that clashes with Noah Lyles’ track and field frustrations.

Not just Russell, these Paris Olympics stars are also living the dream

Since we are speaking about the Paris Olympics athletes who have made it in track and field, at least financially, Gabby Thomas cannot be overlooked. She kicked off last year by claiming the $3ooo cheque at the New Balance Indoor GP. This was followed by an approximate $20k benefit at the World Athletic Relays. Next in line, she picked up extensive amounts at the NYC Grand Prix, the U.S. Olympics trials, and the London Diamond League. Wait, a 3x Olympic gold medalist at the Paris Olympics, imagine the amount of money she has racked up. Also, she came in second at Athlos NYC, yet she claimed over $25k there.

This means Gabby’s certainly made it big! Plus, she has a list of brand endorsements too. Just like Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone. One of the highest-paying track and field athletes in 2024, McLaughlin Levrone earned a whopping $100k from World Athletics in Paris. Add that with the rest of her earnings throughout the year, and it’ll make a big amount! So clearly, things are changing. And 2025’s looking good too, with Michael Johnson’s Grand Slam Track opening another portal to earn money in the sport. Alas, Noah Lyles’ fallout with GST will see him once again, not benefitting from this opportunity!