100m Olympic champion Noah Lyles is at the top of the world today. Yet just a little over half a decade earlier, the sprinter had no world or Olympic medals under his belt. Yet Lyles believed and promised that he would win three gold medals in 2019. While the 27-year-old didn’t live up to that promise, track and field icon Rodney Greene explained why making that promise was crucial.

Many in the track and field community do not take Lyles’ outspoken nature of making lofty claims. Yet Lyles still commands a huge fan base. Greene explained how instances like the 2019 promise and 2023 success are the reasons why many love him. Underneath the posturing and the lofty claims is an athlete who is willing to push himself beyond the limit.

“You have to be inspirational, you just can’t be gimmicky.” Rodney Green told Justin Gatlin during the Ready Set Go Podcast. The Bahamas native cited Noah Lyles’ journey from failing to live up to his promise to earning three golds at the 2023 World Championship. “It shows adversity, the rise, Cinderella story, the self-confidence, you know…” said the podcast host.

However, the track and field icon also acknowledged that Lyles did resort to gimmicks. Greene cited the famous example of the 27-year-old sending a message to Erriyon Knighton at the 2022 USTAF Championships. During the thrilling 100-meter sprint at the 2022 U.S. Championships, Knighton was among the favorites to dethrone the then-two-time consecutive champion.

It almost became a reality when the 20-year-old led at the final turn. However, the outspoken champion overtook the youngster on the final 10m stretch and pointed a finger at his rival. While many chalked it up to Noah Lyles exercising his ego, Green had a different opinion. “That’s Entertainment, that’s him entertaining you…” the former sprinter told Justin Gatlin.

It’s easy to get lost in some of Lyles’ sensational statements. Yet, many of the sprinter fans look past the gimmicks to look up to the track and field champion. Meanwhile, the third-fastest 200-meter sprinter in history has discovered the benefits of being outspoken.

How Noah Lyles’ public persona has helped his brand

The Paris Olympics double medalist isn’t shy about letting the world know of his opinions. Whether it’s his onions about the NBA or his eccentric fashion sense, Lyles takes it all in his stride. Rodney Green also highlighted how it’s helped grow the sprinter’s brand value. The 27-year-old saying the NBA champions are not world champions started a debate that’s still raging today.

While it turned the vast majority of the NBA fan base against the sprinter, it also ensured that people kept talking about Noah Lyles. The six-time world champion is probably the only track and field star who flaunts his eccentric fashion sense on the runway. After winning gold in Paris, the Olympian made his New York Fashion debut, yet becoming the talk of the town.

This desire to remain in the public eye, while backing up his lofty claims (for the most part), has helped Lyles become a star. “What you project outside of the track and field world matters,” argued Green. He even joked that Gatlin would be a lot richer today, had he been a little more outspoken during his legendary career.

While it was a joke, it’s hard to refute Green’s analysis. Noah Lyles’ contract renewal with Adidas was a major win for the athlete. The details of the multi-million dollar contract remain under wraps. However, CitiusMag confirmed that Lyles’ contract is the richest one since Usain Bolt’s $10 million contract with Puma. So it’s safe to say that Rodney Green is right to assess Noah Lyles as an inspiring champion beyond the gimmicks.