Noah Lyles and Christian Coleman Called Out by Fans After Disappointing Season So Far

Noah Lyles and Christian Coleman have been vociferous in their stances regarding the salient features, merits and demerits that track and field offers. As the Olympics approach, athletes often make bold predictions. Noah Lyles declared his intent to dominate, hinting at the conclusion of Usain Bolt‘s glorious era, just before the Shanghai Diamond League. His rival Christian Coleman echoed this exact same sentiment, suggesting Bolt’s 100m record isn’t as challenging as it seems and that the 9.58 is well within reach for most modern-day athletes. 

Christian Coleman faced an unforeseen upset on the stomping grounds of the Shanghai Diamond League by losing to a fellow South African sprinter Akani Simbine. Conversely, there is a massive chance that Lyles may give in to wear and tear before the behemoth games. A recent tweet emphasizes that if you can’t back up your words with actions, it’s best to speak less or avoid making big promises. With faltering and subverting expectations, fans couldn’t help but not keep calm about the matter.

Noah Lyles and Christian Coleman become controversy’s lovechildren

Recently Kemal Forde, an aspiring journalist and track and field analyst, chimed in on his X handle stating, “Bolt, Powell, Merritt, Gay, Warnier, Dix, Gatlin, etc all competed with little to no talking. If your actions do not match your words then limit your speech.” This post is directly hinted at Noah Lyles and Christian Coleman’s not up to the par 2024 season. Kemal Forde points out legends like Usain Bolt, Powell, Merrit, Tyson Gay, Warnier, Dix, Gatlin were reticent in their approach, which is why they achieved success. This just goes to show that having the gift of the gab can sometimes jinx your glory. It’s worth noting Jamaica’s Bolt set his 100m record in Berlin in 2009. American Tyson Gay is the second quickest after Bolt, with a time of 9.69 set in Shanghai the same year.

Noah Lyles’s bold declaration of his dominance, suggesting that Usain Bolt’s era might end, had backfired on him as his performances and timings were not exactly up to the mark. As Lyles raced his 100m season debut on April 13 in Florida, he failed to break Bolt’s cerebral 9.58 record. He had outlined his goals, focusing on four gold medals in various races in the World Indoor Championships in 2024 and the upcoming Paris Olympics. 

Joining Noah, Coleman indicated that Bolt’s 100m is not going to be that hard to beat, “Honestly I feel like a lot of the guys who are competing today who are not that far off.”. But at the Shanghai Diamond League, all the sprinters ran within the 10 second barrier, including the man himself who came second with a rather shaky 10.04 seconds. A flurry of fans took to X to chime in on the rather contradictory matter. Pride does come before a fall, and how.

Fans lend their credence to the matter

Their underwhelming performance left fans disappointed, and their overconfident comments prior to the match also added fuel to the fans’ disappointment. A fan taking a stand for athletes said the following. His comment encapsulates is one that shows the overwhelming solidarity for Lyles and Coleman in particular, post their claims on shattering Bolt’s phenomenal record.

Another fan made fun of their promise and commented on the following. This one follows a negative vein, and he chose to make a backhanded jab, albeit subtly stating that they need to make good on their promise if they don’t wish to be subjected to ridicule. This one was a far cry from the above mentioned positive comment.

Another fan mockingly exclaimed that pride comes before a fall, and that this exemplified the below mentioned comment. The user was cheeky too in his remark and suggested openly that the 100 m event garners a lot of praise, but if the athletes don’t back it up with their performances, it’s a fruitless endeavor to root for.

A fan digging both athletes and blaming the new era remarked the following, as is evident below. He was all praises for the athletes and noted at a timeline paradigm shifting stating that Dix, Bolt, Gatlin, etc. were a different breed of athletes as compared to the pool today, and the same cannot be expected. This is essentially a conflict of ideals and interest.

Both athletes have a notable history in the Diamond League from the past, and they are set to compete again in the upcoming days. Will we see them turn a blind eye to media brickbats and actually see them live up to their name comes Paris? Time will tell.