In Paris, Noah Lyles might have to take on more than just competition from his biggest foes. While the reigning men’s 100m world champ will be shouldering massive responsibilities in helping the USA trounce Jamaica’s dominance in track events at the upcoming Olympics, he might also have to deal with his own teammates. But all hope of reconciliation isn’t lost yet.

When Noah won gold medals at both the men’s 100m and 200m events at the 2023 World Championships in Budapest, many considered it his way of sending out a message to his peers about his intentions for the 2024 Olympics. However, during the post-race interview, Lyles’ dig at the NBA crowning its winners “World Champions” created an even bigger ripple. Now, as the sprinter is set to walk the field with the likes of Kevin Durant & Co. at the upcoming tournament, Lyles seems to be up for laying things to rest.

Noah Lyles isn’t one to budge

In an interview with Track World News, uploaded on YouTube yesterday, Noah could be heard talking about what he thinks the upcoming Olympics has in store for him. At one point, the interviewers couldn’t help but bring around Noah’s controversial comment from last year and asked how he thought things would pan out when he’d walk shoulder-to-shoulder with the likes of Kevin Durant and LeBron James at the French capital, and if they’re likely to raise the issue with the sprinter.

Noah seemed unfazed and replied calmly, “Maybe he’ll say something, I doubt he will though. Just because he probably wouldn’t want to bring it up to bring more attention to the situation.” He went on to state that he was up for putting everything behind. Noah’s latest statement may be in light of what Golden State Warriors star Durant had to say following the former’s controversial comments. In September last year, Durant called Lyles “jealous” for being unable to achieve the kind of stardom and popularity that NBA athletes mostly enjoy.

However, even then, Noah responded with calm: “To be honest, I’m just glad we’re having the conversation. It’s been underlying for so long, but no one really wanted to talk about it.” And now, his latest statement once again reiterated his wish to move forward from whatever transpired before. “If you want to, you know, water under the bridge: cool! If you want to talk about it I’m down for a conversation,” Lyles didn’t beat around the bush about how he is likely to respond if the basketball celebrities want him to clarify his past statements. He laid down an ultimatum that he was ready to mend bridges as long as Durant was ready for a conversation amicably.

While many might speculate that the leading NBA stars are sure to try to extract an explanation from the sprinting icon, others would argue such unfiltered statements make Noah who he is.

Noah is relentless in pursuing his goals, in every way possible

Trash-talking and being bold about his ambitions has never been Lyles’ weak aspect. As the Olympics have crept closer, the 26-year-old has made multiple claims about what he’s going to do at this year’s quadrennial event. From claiming he will be flying to Paris to win gold in all four events (100m, 200m, 4x100m, and 4x400m) to talking about usurping Usain Bolt’s high throne, Lyles is never shy to stir up some controversies with his words. And he hasn’t stopped at only the Jamaican phenom.

Before running the Atlanta City Games in May this year, where Lyles defeated the British record holder Zharnel Hughes in the 150m race, the American runner joked that he doesn’t consider anyone to be his competition in the 200m events. While such bragging rights aren’t too misplaced considering his emphatic record in the distance, some would point out that the Olympic Games are a whole different ball game altogether. However, Lyles has recorded multiple impressive victories in 2024 alone to bolster his claims.

Lyles is currently the No. 1 ranked 200m sprinter and being ranked in No. 2 in the 100m dash. However, as the Olympics approach, what do you reckon Noah has hidden in his sleeve that makes him so confident about his abilities? Tell us how you believe he will perform in Paris in the comments below.