At just 26 years of age, Noah Lyles has already solidified his status as a force that needs to be reckoned in the annals of track and field. With three titles in worlds in 200m and 100m last year, Lyles has already proved his prowess. However, Lyles is not just content with competing at the sprints; he has set his sights on the relay as well.

The opportunity for a trial run at the World Indoor Championships came up on Sunday, where he was tasked with the third leg for Team USA. Although Noah turned out to be a formidable force, standing atop the podium made him land in the middle of controversies.

Noah Lyles’ hard-earned life lessons

After the conclusion of the World Indoor Championships, Noah Lyles is once again making headlines all across the internet. He took to his official X account to share a cryptic post. Noah penned, “A few things I have learned early in my career. Being marketable sells Medals doesn’t bring likeness. Politics Is in everything.” The post likely could be a strike back to the latest controversy that sparked following fellow sprinter Fred Kerley’s comment slamming USATF’s unfair decision of adding Noah to the third leg in the World Athletics Indoor Championships.

Before the commencement of the World Athletics Indoor Championships, it was quite evident that it was always going to be explosive. The 4x100m race at the 2024 World Indoors became a focal point when Noah Lyles took the surprising decision to add the relay to his already demanding lineup of events. “After the 60, we went back to the hotel and my coach let Mike know again that if they needed me I was open,” explained Lyles amid sparkling controversies. However, Noah’s decision stirred frustration from Kerley.

Criticism surrounding Noah Lyles after Worlds

The 2020 Silver Olympic medalist at 100m, Fred Kerley, expressed his discontent publicly through his Twitter account as he penned, “@usatf y’all play that favoritism like mf. Yall like puppets. For sure yes man.” Consequently, in response to it, Noah defended his position on the relay team by stating the communication with his coach prior to the relay race.

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Noah Lyles gave his all and posted an impressive time of 45.67, the fastest third leg, keeping America in the lead heading into the final. Consequently, addressing Kerley’s unjust criticism, Lyles said, “He (Kerley) could be here, but he ain’t; if he is mad at that (Noah’s inclusion at the 4x100m race at the World Indoor Championships), come on out here.”