Choosing Silence, Noah Lyles Perfectly Mocks Critics After Re-Igniting Usain Bolt’s Record Debate

Noah Lyles is a standout in athletics, known for his speed and response to criticism. He’s faced backlash for aiming to break Usain Bolt‘s records but hasn’t spoken after it publicly. Lyles confidently ignores critics and stays focused despite the controversy over Usain Bolt’s record. Recently, he made a post proving exactly why he is capable of the daunting feat.

Lyles has already set his eyes on Bolt’s 200m world record of 19.19 seconds, with his personal best of 19.31 seconds placing him third on the all-time list. Rather than engaging in a war of words or directly addressing his critics, Lyles has opted to let his performances do the talking.

Actions speak for themselves; Noah Lyles highlights his impeccable Bahamas scores

Recently, Noah Lyles took to X to share a screenshot of his 90-meter time of 8.88s at the Bahamas Relays this year. He captioned it, “Preview for Paris,“ hinting that he has bigger plans for the Paris Olympics in August. This has attracted opinions from global critics. They believe Lyles aims to surpass Usain Bolt’s 100m record of 9.58 seconds at the 2009 IAAF World Championships. While Lyles clocked 8.88s, it’s crucial to note it was in a relay race. In individual sprints, the start time accounts for the most time loss.

He will have to be especially careful about this when trying to break Usain Bolt’s 200m record. Previously, Lyles had expressed confidence in his ability to beat Bolt’s scores, stating, “He(Usain Bolt) was the fastest man ever to do it…and soon, it’ll be me.” Following his thoughts Usain Bolt himself has come to the support of Noah “…the possibility is there,” that’s huge coming from him.

In the past, Lyles has broken Bolt’s record for the most 200-meter races run in less than 20 seconds. Winning in the 4x100m relay differs from the individual 100m sprint because, in the relay, you start halfway through. The US men’s team recently won gold at the World Athletics Relay in Nassau.

Bolt acknowledged Lyles’ impressive performances on the track and stated that he is looking forward to seeing Lyles match up to him. However, he also said it would be “very, very hard.” Another American sprinter, Christian Coleman, has also claimed before the Shanghai Diamond League, “Honestly I feel like a lot of the guys who are competing today who are not that far off,” referring to Bolt’s 9.58s record. Coleman’s time was just over 10 seconds, showing that Noah Lyles isn’t the only one eyeing a historic moment at the Paris Olympics.

Lyles is ready to etch history in the Paris Olympics

Noah Lyles has his sights set on an extraordinary achievement at the upcoming 2024 Paris Olympics following his impressive performance at the Bahamas relays. He’s recently told the Gold Zone Podcast, which is hosted on the official USATF account, that he is ready for any challenges.

In his own words, “What’s wrong with greedy? I don’t think there’s anything wrong. But the way I see it is if you want to make it onto the Mount Rushmore of track and field, you gotta do things that people haven’t done. And if I feel that I can train myself to be able to do multiple of each, I want to try and accomplish that.”

In preparation for the Paris Games, Lyles has expanded his repertoire, competing in the 60m event during the indoor season. He believes this will help him improve his performance in the 100m and 200m. His confidence and determination are further bolstered by his recent successes, which include securing multiple Diamond League gold medals.