“Is There Money on the Line?”: Noah Lyles Slams Critics While Shutting Down Usain Bolt Rivalry

Usain Bolt holds two world records. He set the world record for men’s 100m in 2009 with a super fast run of 9.58 seconds. During the same tournament in 2009, Usain Bolt also set the 200m men’s world record with a scintillating run of 19.19 seconds. While many have tried being his records, no one has been able to achieve that feat in 14 years. Like many who tried, American track sensation Noah Lyles has also attempted to break Bolt’s records on a number of occasions.

In fact last year, Lyles ended up setting a new American record in the 200m by smashing Michael Johnson’s time with his 19.31 seconds. This made Noah Lyles, the third fastest man in the world currently in the 200m discipline, with just 0.12 seconds shy of Bolt’s world record. Recently, in a YouTube video, posted through his own channel, Lyles gave an interesting reply when asked about his rivalry with the fastest man on the planet.

How did Noah Lyles respond to his rivalry with Usain Bolt?

In a video that was uploaded before the 2023 World Athletics Championships, Lyles talked about a number of things. These ranged from his performance at the U.S. Championships in Eugene to his pointing incident at Erriyon Knighton and even his rivalry with Usain Bolt. Lyles was asked if he sees his rivalry with Bolt narrative as a means to attract more spectators and eyeballs to the sport. Before he answered, Lyles looked amused by the question and smiled before answering with another question as he said, “You consider that a rivalry”. He further made his point clear by laughing and saying, “Is there money on the line”.

Despite hinting that he does not see any rivalry with Bolt, Noah Lyles remains motivated to smash the Jamaican’s world record. The 200m world record that he is aiming for was set in stone when Lyles was only 12 years old. He has said in interviews before that he believes that one day that record will be broken by him. Although he could not break Usain Bolt’s world records in Budapest, Noah Lyles put in some impressive performances that saw him winning a host of gold medals and setting his own records.

American track star’s record-breaking performances

Noah Lyles secured 3 gold medals at the recent world championships in Budapest. He won the 100m, successfully defended his 200m world champion crown, and helped the USA win the 4x100m relay by anchoring them to gold. In short, he won all competitions he participated in. Through his hat trick of gold medals, he also achieved some personal records. With a dominating 200m winning run, he is now the only male athlete apart from Usain Bolt, to win 3 consecutive 200m world championship events.

Read more: After 7 Years of Losing to Usain Bolt’s Record, Noah Lyles Posts the Perfect Finish at World Athletics Championship

With his double win of 100m and 200m, Lyles has also become the only athlete since Usain Bolt in 2015, to win both these disciplines in the same tournament. All in all, Noah Lyles has his mind set on breaking Usain Bolt’s world record. As he keeps getting better with each tournament, his fans will be waiting for him to conquer a 14-year-old world record in next year’s Paris Olympics.

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