Amidst the anticipation surrounding the Paris Olympics, American track and field sensation Noah Lyles has emerged as a focal point of both admiration and scrutiny. “I’ve always known that I’m the fastest man in the world. Well, in my head, I think I’m going to break it. I’m planning to break it,” declared Lyles, fresh off his remarkable achievement as the 2023 world champion, clinching victories in the 200m, 100m, and 4x100m categories, a feat last accomplished by Usain Bolt in 2015.

However, Bolt’s recent social media post has further heightened the scrutiny surrounding Lyles’ comments. As Noah Lyles prepares to represent the United States on the Olympic stage, fans and critics alike analyze his journey. They are eager to see if he can achieve his ambitious goal of a quadruple win. This feat, never before accomplished in Olympic history, has become the focal point of his upcoming challenges.

Noah Lyles caught in the crossfire once again before the Paris Olympics

On Jul 24, 2024, Owen took to X and set the record straight on a few things. They began the tweet by saying, “A large proportion of the American media and fanbase have been running with the narrative that Noah Lyles is the fastest man alive. That title belongs to Usain Bolt.” Given that Usain Bolt is alive and well, while holding the current world record in the 100m event at a time of 9.58s, makes the media’s narrative even more misleading. Noah Lyles himself has often spoken about beating Usain Bolt’s records and scores, especially that of this triple win. This refers to the time when Bolt won the 100m, 400m relay, and 200m races in three consecutive Olympics between 2008 and 2016.

Owen said, “Until he [Bolt] dies and/or someone runs quicker than his time, that title belongs to him.” They further added that according to stats and scores, Lyles isn’t even the fastest man running this Olympic season as Kishane Thompson and Ferdinand Omanyala both have faster personal bests than him. Lyles has a personal best time of 9.83s in the 100m and 19.31s in the 200m events. Thompson set his pb at 9.77s in the Jamaican Olympic Trials and Omanyala also has the same personal best time, established at the Absa Kip Keino Classic in Nairobi.

Moreover, Noah Lyles was accused of not correcting people when they called him the fastest man in the world, instead he is “just sitting back and accepting it. If it’s giving him the attention and spotlight, then it doesn’t matter.” It shouldn’t come as a surprise then when the rest of the world accuses American fans and the media of not being able to see past their noses. However, it is to be noted that the “fastest man in the world” title temporarily comes after becoming a champion in the World Championships. In the same vein, Sha’Carri Richardson is called the fastest woman in the world.

In 2023, during the World Championships in Budapest, Lyles won both the 100m and 200m titles, which led to him being bestowed the title. Additionally, it would be remiss to mention that Noah Lyles himself has spoken up about the “world champion” term used in American Sports, even though it was regarding the NBA where competitors are mainly American. Given these facts, it’s unclear whether the allegations made against Lyles are totally valid. However, fans are still not happy with the American media using ‘world’ when they mean just the ‘USA’. 

Track and field fans are divided in their opinion

Though track and field fans have been divided by the tweet, the majority of them are in favor of Noah Lyles. Fans expressed their strong feelings on the matter. According to them, the media may have hidden motives. They aim to create catchy headlines and publish controversial news to maximize traffic. Calling Lyles the fastest man alive in the presence of Usain Bolt is just one such example. The fan disdainfully wrote, “I think ppl should leave them alone and let them run with it. The facts and the truth will always speak for itself. It’s clear though they have an agenda apart from the facts and that’s their modus operandi even in other things.”

Another fan, however, was in support of Noah Lyles. He is known for being confident on the track and brings some great energy to the sport. Moreover, in track and field, where the fanbase is shrinking, Lyles, with his headline-making presence, could help revive interest in the sport. They let their admiration known by writing, “I honestly don’t mind subscribing to this dubious narrative. I like Noah. I find his confidence infectious. I think it’s semantics who deserves that title. Someone active does. Why not him? He’s the reigning double sprint World Champion.”

Next, a fan let the internet know how they feel about the tweet by Owen that is trying to instigate a conflict where there is none. The fan explained that though Bolt is the record holder, Lyles is the current champion in the 100m and 200m worlds. Moreover, he broke Bolt’s record of having the most sub-20s 200m races. They expressed their support for Lyles, saying, “I think that whoever wins the world championship or olympics is the fastest man alive until the next world championship or olympics. Bolt is still the world record holder. He has run faster than any man alive or in history, but if he’s not competing anymore, he can’t claim to be the fastest.”

Another fan pointed out that the hate Noah Lyles has been getting is disproportionate to the respect he deserves as a prime track and field athlete. They praised Lyles and explained that the title is just temporary and is up for grabs for whoever comes out on top that season. “This is semantics. He’s the last major championship winner in both sprints, and hasn’t lost in 3 years over 200. It’s not an official title, and is always given to whoever wins the Olympic/WCh 100m. He’s clearly the man to beat. You’re splitting hairs.”

The last fan also reiterated the semantics that it’s less of a mislabel and more simply the fact that Lyles won two races in the 2023 Worlds. If someone else wins this year, the title will be transferred to them and be held by them as long as they can defend it. The fan wrote this calmly, saying, “He’s not the fastest man alive but as the reigning world champion it’s absolutely reasonable to call him the fastest man in the world, as has been done for the past 100m champions.”

Given the way Noah Lyles is being mired in controversy and criticism ahead of the Paris Olympics, will he deliver the performances needed to silence his critics once and for all?