The 2023 Diamond League Finals are almost here. Scheduled to be held in Eugene, the upcoming track and field event will see the likes of Sha’Carri Richardson and Noah Lyles perform one final time on home soil before saying goodbye to the 2023 season. In fact, Noah Lyles had already announced the completion of his 2023 season after the Zurich leg of the Diamond League. However, the double world champion later changed his mind and will once again run the men’s 100m at the 2023 Prefontaine Classic.

In recent times, Noah Lyles has been doing his bit to advance the sport of track and field in the United States. Through interviews and podcast appearances, the track sensation has been raising awareness about the sport. Alongside, he is highlighting the areas of improvement in order to reach a wider audience. One such podcast appearance came recently when he sat down to discuss the sport with a former NFL wide receiver.

Noah Lyles speaks on upliftment of track and field

In a recent conversation on the Paper Route by I Am Athlete podcast, Noah Lyles talked about the different challenges of track and field with former NFL wide receiver Brandon Marshall. The double world champion highlighted that many fans in the United States want to support their track athletes. But they are not even aware that athletes like Sha’Carri Richardson and Christian Coleman will race in Eugene later this week. Lyles further emphasized that the sport of track and field really struggles with targeting and marketing the right demographics. This results in lesser engagement with the sport and smaller attendance at the track events.

The world champion stated that he does not have any off-track competition with Usain Bolt other than their track records. “In track and field, there is no Noah Lyles Usain Bolt conversation. It is Usain Bolt faster, but Noah Lyles is the third fastest human to ever live”, Lyles said. He also pointed out that the beauty of track and field lies in the fact that these records are ever-changing. In the upcoming weeks and months, even he can set new world records. Lyles mentioned that almost every track meet witnesses new national and international records and this reflects the intense practice and dedication of track and field athletes. With the 2023 Prefontaine Classic and 2024 Paris Olympics coming up, Noah Lyles had recently also opened up about his approach to world records.

Lyles’ take on world records

Currently, Noah Lyles is the third fastest man in the men’s outdoor 200m discipline. He achieved this feat last year in Eugene when he ran the 200m in 19:31 seconds and also ended up setting the new American record in the division. Recently, Noah Lyles explained world records are not in the athlete’s control and depend on a lot of factors. In a GQ Sports interview, Lyles said, “You could be in shape to be able to do it, but what if the wind is not in your direction and legal, if the weather is raining or cloudy, or too sunny, if the crowd isn’t hype enough, if the competition isn’t exciting enough?”

Read more: US Track Star Noah Lyles Surpasses World’s Fastest Man Usain Bolt by 4 Records

As for the future of track and field in the U.S. Noah Lyles has been making an immense effort for more people to attend track and field events and learn more about the athletes. The world champion has also maintained how he wants people to come and watch him in action and he will make sure to give the fans something different to watch each time.

Watch this story: After Flaunting World Championship Medals, Noah Lyles Gets Back to Hustle Again Ahead of Prefontaine Diamond League