What a year it’s been for Noah Lyles! He had such an amazing run, literally and figuratively, snagging that 100m gold medal at the Paris Olympics. On top of that, he got engaged to fellow sprinter Junelle Bromfield and even bought a house. Everything seemed to be falling into place for him, right? But just when it looked like he was on top of the world, disappointment crept in.

The buzz around the World Athletics Awards 2024 is heating up, and it sounds like Lyles might not get the recognition he hoped for this time around. After winning Athlete of the Year last year, it’s got to be tough to think he might miss out this year.

So, here’s the scoop: the finalists were announced, and Lyles didn’t make the cut! Instead, the spotlight is shining on Letsile Tebogo and Jakob Ingebrigtsen. Letsile has been turning heads ever since he crossed the finish line as the new 200m Olympic champion in Paris, setting an incredible African record of 19.46 seconds.

The crowd at Stade de France went wild, especially when he denied Lyles a shot at the sprint double. Lyles ended up finishing third, and to make matters worse, he was dealing with COVID-19. Talk about a tough break!

And then there’s Jakob Ingebrigtsen, who also had a killer performance, claiming gold in the 5,000 m. After not doing so well in the 1,500m, he bounced back and put on a clinic in the longer race. With his strategy and that final push, he showed everyone just what he’s made of. Now, as we count down to December 1 for the World Athletics Awards announcement, it’s clear that both Tebogo and Ingebrigtsen are serious contenders. It’s a bittersweet moment for Lyles, juggling his incredible year with the challenges that have come along the way. Unfortunately, at the ANOC Awards 2024, Lyles found himself outshined by Letsile once again.

Can Noah Lyles make a comeback?

Noah Lyles had an absolutely amazing year in 2023! He was named World Athlete of the Year, sharing the spotlight with Faith Kipyegon at a ceremony in Monaco on December 11. It was so cool to see such talent being recognized, especially when World Athletics President Sebastian Coe mentioned how impressive the competition was in track and field. With all the outstanding performances that year, it really made sense to celebrate athletes across various disciplines.

There, at the World Athletics Championships, Lyles picked up three gold medals—he won both the 100m and 200m events and played a key role in Team USA’s victory in the 4x100m relay. That was amazing! We can’t overlook Kipyegon’s performances in the 1500-meter and 5000-meter races that broke records. It was thrilling to see athletes such as Lyles and Kipyegon receive the acknowledgment they earned for their dedication and effort. However, this time Lyles fell short of making a mark for himself at the ANOC Awards 2024 also.

This year, Julien Alfred and Letsile Tebogo received recognition as the athletes of Paris 2024 during the ANOC Awards held in Portugal—what a thrilling evening it was indeed! Alfred from St. Lucia was honored with the Best Female Athlete award, while Tebogo from Botswana clinched the title of Best Male Athlete. We hope Noah Lyles will step up and make an impact in 2025—let’s cheer him on as he starts strong and puts his effort into it!