Noah Lyles can’t catch a break, can he? After facing ire for his pompous attitude in Netflix Docuseries Sprint and subsequently reigniting the USA-Jamaican rivalry, this time, he may have gotten ahead of himself… only to be humbled by the track and field community not too long after.

The athlete was on The Kelly Clarkson Show on July 17, where the Grammy-winning musician introduced him with a bold claim: “I mean the fastest man in the world!” But how did Lyles respond?

The American sprinter, with a bright smile, responded, “Yeah. Let’s hope.” However, this exchange did not sit well with avid track and field fans. They were unhappy with how Clarkson’s statement sidelined Jamaican athletes.

Take Usain Bolt for example. His 100m and 200m records still haven’t been broken. However, Noah Lyles has declared several times that he will be the one to do so in a post-race interview after winning the 200m at the US Olympic Team Trials 2024. “Grabbing a world record is one of two things that I still have left to do: one being grabbing an Olympic gold, and then, two, grabbing a world record.”

Noah Lyles’s personal best versus Usain Bolt’s personal best:

Well, by calling Lyles the fastest man in the world, was Clarkson referring to the sprinter winning the 100m and 200m at the 2023 World Athletics Championships? He was crowned as the ‘fastest man in the world’ then. So, it could be possible. However, that didn’t stop Instagram users from sharing their thoughts in the comment section. They were burning!

Fans debate the authenticity of Clarkson’s claims! Was it misinformation?

The snippet shared by the show and Team USA on Instagram sparked a flurry of comments. One fired-up viewer wrote, “What kind of misinformation is this???😂😂😂😂 Kelly please fact check!!!” Another added, “He is not actually…but it is impossible to stop US ego,” throwing shade at both Clarkson and Lyles. Clearly, the main point of contention was Usain Bolt.

Interesting Fact: Did you know Lyles broke a particular record set by Bolt? Yes! By July 2023, the American sprinter completed 35 sprints (200m) in under 20 seconds. Bolt, who had retired in 2017, has 34 sprints under the 20-second mark. Thus, Lyles successfully surpassed the Jamaican’s record for the most 200-meter races in less than 20 seconds.

Many fans felt the Jamaican legend, whose 100m and 200m world records remain unbroken even seven years after his retirement, deserved the title. One disappointed fan expressed, “I’m a little disappointed in u Kelly not knowing who the fastest man in the world is, come on, I love Noah Lyles but he never once corrected u. Give the man his props, his name is Usain Bolt, 8 times gold Olympic champ, goggle him.” 

Lyles came into the picture when Bolt was on the brink of retirement. However, this isn’t the first time fans have engaged in such a debate regarding Noah Lyles. On June 20, 2024, the American sprinter was invited to Jimmy Fallon’s popular ‘The Tonight Show’, where the two chatted about Lyles’ track and field career. Fallon called Lyles “the fastest man in the world” and asked him just how fast he was.

Lyles replied, “I’d say 26 miles per hour. So if I ran in a school zone, I’d get a ticket.” This, of course, caused another online firestorm.

But, as of June 28, 2024, that title belongs to Kishane Thompson in the world rankings, who clocked a blazing 9.77 at the Jamaican trials. One fan commented, “@kellyclarksonshow is USA the world now? 😂😂😂 🇯🇲 Usain Bolt is the fastest man alive and Kishane Thompson 9.77 🇯🇲 holds the world lead Title for this year so far.. A honorable person would correct you he’s just as bad.. Do your research 🧐”

However, it’s important to note that in the 200m, Noah Lyles is leading the world standings in 2024 with a time of 19.53 seconds. He also boasts a personal best of 19.31 seconds in the 200m, which is not only the American record but also the fourth fastest time in history.

Lastly, another fan stated, “Ridiculous….. and have the nerve to post this clip. He’s not even the fastest man this year let alone the fastest man alive. Stick to singing if you can’t do due diligence with simple research….”

Regardless, the debate will go on. Do you think fans were right in trying to humble Noah Lyles? Let us know in the comments below.