Noah Lyles Unfazed of Challenging Gabby Thomas’ 4×100 Team With 42-Year-Old Retired Track and Field Legend

Noah Lyles is currently concentrating on his next race in the Atlanta City Games, set on May 18. In this Olympic season, he is yet to take flight contesting in the 200m race. But that may not add dust to Noah Lyles’ stunning timings in the 200m races in recent years. Rather, despite the emergence of sprinters like Erriyon Knighton and Letsile Tebogo, the reigning world champion (or the treble winner!) has not passed the baton onto any other probable champion for the Paris outing.

But is Noah Lyles‘ 200m timings stunning enough to dismantle world champion relay racers’ clocking in the women’s category? If yes, then how? Well, Rodney Green has an answer. The track and field raconteur has minutely followed the data and has green-lit this hypothetical possibility. But in that case, Noah would need another Olympic champion to share in his might. Seeing such a proposition, he has voted for the deal. 

Noah Lyles eyes for victories irrespective of events 

In a conversation with track and field legend Justin Gatlin, Rodney Green made clear that if he and Noah Lyles form a relay team of 400m, they will easily surpass the women’s 4x100m world champion team’s timing. However, Noah Lyles shared the clip of that conversation in his IG story, sealing the victory probability: “We definitely winning”. But the only thing that remains distinct in this contest is the formation, taking the average timings of both Noah Lyles and Justin Gatlin in their 200m races. In such a case, the men’s team will overpower Gabby Thomas’ current world champion team without question. 

In the Budapest World Athletics championships, Gabby Thomas’ team took 41.03 seconds to be crowned as world champion. However, as per Noah Lyles’ calculation in the IG story, he and Justin Gatlin can wrap up 200m relays, each taking a mere 19.9 seconds. In such a case, the 400m race will be concluded in 39.8 seconds. However, on his best day, Noah Lyles has had a better timing. 

Furthermore, Justin Gatlin retired in 2022. Otherwise, if they could consider their best timings in 200m, the men’s team would wrap up the show in 38.98 (19.31+ 19.57)seconds- almost 2 seconds before the American world champion team in the women’s category. But did that downplay the respect the duo have for Gabby Thomas? 

The Gabby Thomas factor that no one can ignore 

The answer to the above question is no. In the Bahamas a few days ago, Gabby Thomas remained the key factor in punching Olympic tickets for both the women’s 4x100m and 4x400m relay events. However, Gabby took part in both those events on the same day, in a gap of 20 minutes. Witnessing such a showdown, Justin Gatlin could not hide his wonder. 

“That was an amazing feat. We don’t see that very often” Justin Gatlin said to Rodney Green, expressing his emotion. But what about Noah Lyles? He was also present in the World Relay Race, running for the men’s side, when Gabby was sending shockwaves via her performance on the track. 

Well, having the fastest split in the 4x100m category, Noah may not have missed his fan’s achievement on the track. Previously, Gabby Thomas congratulated Noah Lyles after his victory in the 60m indoor event in the USATF Indoor Championship this year. Noah must have remembered that as well. Now, when he is looking forward to cementing his position in the relay team for the Olympics, the veterans’ praise for him would give him joy.