Noah Lyles Sidelined as Former Track and Field Veterans Chooses Christian Coleman as Favorite for the USATF Indoor Championships

The stars have aligned for a breathtaking showdown at next month’s 2024 USATF Indoor Championships as Noah Lyles and Christian Coleman come face to face once again. While Coleman is undefeated against the 2023 World Champion in the 60 meters, Lyles is coming from a record-breaking sprint at the New Balance Indoor Grand Prix. However, track and field veterans feel Coleman has got the edge.

The last time Coleman and Lyles faced was in the Prefontaine Classic 100m in September 2023 as the former beat the 2020 Bronze medalist by 0.02 seconds in a 100-meter sprint. While margins could be even smaller this time around, Coleman is favored to hold his lead against the fastest man on Earth.

2004 Olympic Champion keeps Christian Coleman ahead of Noah Lyles

While Noah Lyles’ specialty is 100-meter and 200-meter sprints, Christian Coleman is the world record holder in 60-meter sprints in 6.34 seconds. Weighing in on the match-up, former track and field stars Justin Gatlin and Rodney Green picked Christian Coleman as the favorite for the 60m clash at the USATF Indoor Championship 2024. “His next 60 meters, he should at least drop down to 6.4s easy,” Gatlin said, arguing that Coleman could easily be near the 6.4s second mark that Lyles touched at the New Balance Indoor Grand Prix.

During the Last week’s Milrose Games, Coleman won the 60m sprint in 6.51 seconds. But it only marked his first 60m sprint of the year, and Gatlin believes he can easily match the Lyles speed in his 2nd sprint of the year.

“If it’s going to be a Noah and Coleman show, he (Coleman) has to create separation quickly and he has to hold that separation,” the 2004 Olympic Champion analyzed. “Coleman knows how to command the race…”

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Will Lyles prove the veterans wrong?

During the 2021 World Athletic Championship in Budapest, Noah Lyles wasn’t the most famous athlete in track and field. Yet, he soon achieved the title of the third fastest on the 200m track. Before that, he stunned the world with a sensational 9.83-second sprint in the 100m race, and what he said after the victory might give him the edge over Coleman next month.

“They said it couldn’t be done. They said I wasn’t the one. But thank God I am,” Lyles had hummed after becoming the 2021 World Champion. And if he remembers his words, Gatlin’s remarks wouldn’t deter him even an inch. Lyles will be all geared up to prove himself once again.

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