“Keep Your Same Attitude”: Noah Lyles Speaks on First Ever Usain Bolt Meetup in Jamaica

Apart from being the most successful track runner out there, Usain Bolt holds an aura that is hard to match. Not only that, he has been absolutely brilliant on track, but his off-track endeavors have also been the talk of the town quite a few times. One such incident happened with another upcoming icon of the track and field arena, Noah Lyles, when he bumped into Bolt during a competitive event.

Lyles, who was constantly chasing the Jamaican phenom’s records, was spellbound by his presence, and the two shared a heartwarming moment during the event. The American runner revisited the nostalgia recently and uncovered the morsels of his first meeting with the legendary Olympian.

When Noah Lyles crossed paths with Usain Bolt

As per the reports from Yahoo Sports, Noah Lyles is known for his candid confessions, and the reigning triple world champion did not hold back during the interview given to the website on Monday. Talking about being the world’s fastest man, Lyles added that the world needed the world’s fastest man, and that title belongs to him. While sharing his first memory with the current world’s fastest man, Bolt, and their meeting during the Racers Grand Prix 2023, Noah Lyles stated, “Keep your same attitude, bro, The sport needs that s***. We need a personality,” that’s what the eight-time Olympic champion whispered to him.

However, if the records are concerned, then Lyles is yet to equal or surpass Bolt’s achievements, despite being consistently seen as a challenger to the Jamaican’s legacy, particularly in the 200-meter event. Nonetheless, Lyles has surpassed the eleven-time world champion for having the most sub-20 second timings in the men’s 200m division. Noah Lyles now has 38 sub-20s, while his Jamaican counterpart recorded 34 sub-20s before retiring in 2017. Well, this is not the only record of the world’s fastest man alive that Lyles has broken or came close to, but there are plenty of others as well.

Rising star on the trail of a living legend

It was during the 2023 World Athletics Championships that Noah Lyles took the track and field world by storm. The 26-year-old runner reigned supreme in both the 100-meter and 200-meter domains and hit the sprinting double. With this, he made it to the list of the rarest of the rare athletes who have won it all during the World Athletics Championships, which has names like Usain Bolt, Tyson Gay, Justin Gatlin, and others.

Apart from this, Lyles has made claims to go past Bolt’s feats. Prior to his participation in the 2023 World Championships in Budapest, the Olympic bronze medalist stated that he’d break Bolt’s 19.19-second world record in the 200-meter category, which he failed to do despite winning the title. However, his fans must be waiting for the Paris Olympics 2024, where he aims to bring glory to America while challenging Bolt’s records.

Read More: Breaking: Noah Lyles Fails to Keep Up With American Promise Despite Perfect 100M Finish at World Athletics Championships