Rebounding From Indoor Championship Defeat, Christian Coleman Extends Remarkable Tribute To Rival Noah Lyles

Let’s rewind to 2008, when Olympic veteran Michael Johnson marveled at Usain Bolt‘s unbelievable world record, calling it a “never seen anything like that before” experience. After 16 years since then, we watch a fierce contest between the world’s fastest sprinters, Noah Lyles and Christian Coleman. Both athletes desire to outperform Bolt and leave their mark on track and field history.

Speaking of their record highlights, Noah Lyles is a multi-distance sprint champion nicknamed “threepeater” after winning three straight races. Coleman is the 2019 World Athletics Championships 200m champion; together, the duo are known for their track rivalry. Now, recently Coleman added Lyles to his hypothetical dream team squad, leaving the track and field community wondering about their blossoming connection.

Noah Lyles finds a friendly foe in Christian Coleman

Coleman won his third consecutive 60m event at the Millrose Games on February 11 with a time of 6.51 s. But the tables turned on February 18 in the USA Track and Field Indoor Championships when Lyles narrowly defeated Coleman by 0.01s in a dramatic similar sprint race. Recently, when asked about picking his dream all-time 4x100m relay mates on X, Coleman said in a video: “I’ll start it off, I will go first, I’ll put Bolt on second…I give it to Maurice Greene on third and then I’ll let Noah bring it on home.”

Coleman, who was unbeaten in the 60m, will have a stiff battle from Lyles, hoping to become the first American man to win the 100m Olympic championship since 2004. As these two speedsters push each other to new heights, the anticipation for their next clash in the World Indoor Championships in Glasgow next month thickens.

Coleman turned professional at 21 and stunned the world in 2017 by breaking Usain Bolt’s record. On the other hand, Lyles has been on a tear, winning three straight 200m World titles and targeting four golds at the 2024 Paris Olympics.

The rivalry between the two sprinters has piqued the interest of many fans from the track and field community, including track legend Michael Johnson, who shared on X: “They both have the same #1 goal. Become World Champion in Glasgow. But only one can be World Champ. Rematch!” 

Worlds fastest sprinters’ Olympics goals

Noah Lyles, the reigning men’s 100m and 200m world champion, including the 4x100m relay winner, plans to broaden his repertoire by adding longer sprints to his list of feats. Lyles famously won the relay at the 2023 World Athletics Championships in Budapest and hopes to achieve a unique feat by winning four gold medals in the Summer Olympics.

READ MORE Not Noah Lyles or Christian Coleman, Australian Coach Claims This Athlete Is Better Than Usain Bolt

Coleman, seeking a chance at the Paris Olympics, encountered barriers when he was banned from participating in Tokyo after missing three drug tests. After being suspended for 18 months, the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Switzerland later reduced his absence from track to six months. With hopes to make their name big in the Games, the athletes are making the road to Paris even more interesting!

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