“Take Him Off”: Noah Lyles’ Bahamas Relays Team Member Criticized by Track and Field Community

Team USA made history at the recently concluded World Relays in the Bahamas. Their team, composed of Noah Lyles, Kyree King, Kenny Bednarek, and Courtney Lindsey put up a stupendous show not only winning the gold but also having a 0.49s lead over the second-placed Canada. While the men’s 4x100m team reserved their spot for Paris with the win, fans were still not happy with the dominating performance.

The main area of their concern seems to be the omission of Erriyon Knighton and Christian Coleman. According to the track and field fandom, the performance of Lindsey and King was not up to the mark. The dismay reached to such an extent that questions floated over whether the team should drop the duo from the Olympics. 

Christian Coleman and Erriyon Kinghton in the 4×100 team? 

Soon after Team USA won the gold at the World Relays, debates sparked on social media regarding replacing Lindsey and King. One such tweet came from an account named Track & Field Gazette. The caption to the X post read, “Question for the timeline.👀 Do you think the US 🇺🇸 team that ran the men’s 4x100m at the World Relays should remain the same for the Olympics? What changes would you make to this quartet?”

And this is where the inclusion of Coleman and Knighton was heavily discussed. Well, for starters, Coleman has a 100m personal best of 9.76s as compared to Courtney Lindsey’s 9.89s. Christian Coleman has shown decent progress this year and is also aiming to better his own record at the upcoming Paris Olympics. While this looks like a fair deal, the timing of Kyree King and Erriyon Knighton paints a different picture. 

Running at the Miramar Invitational in 2021, King registered his 100m best clocking at 9.97s. However, Knighton’s 100m personal best is 10.04s, which is much slower than Knighton’s. If a change must be made keeping in mind the timings, Fred Kerley would be a perfect choice over Knighton with a 100m best of 9.76m. Speaking on the topic, the fans came out with varying opinions. 

Fans opine about the US Relay Team’s possibilities? 

Athletes usually need to excel in trials to reach the final event. However, administrative bodies often have the authority to select members from a pool, including non-finalists. This flexibility allows teams to choose the best combination of athletes for the relay team based on strengths and compatibility. As the Jamaican coach Glen Mills mentioned that he was unaware of the qualification process, one fan reflected on the same.

Another fan drafted a possible relay team. They mentioned their choice and preferred Christian Coleman and Erriyon Knighton over Kyree King and Courtney Lindsey. They also stated that this combination might bring the world record closer to Team USA. With the 9.58 debate spreading like wildfire, this comment seemed all the more pertinent.

Discussing the optimal lineup for a relay race, another user suggested that Christian Coleman should be placed on the first leg due to his exceptional starting abilities. Additionally, they considered either Noah Lyles or Erriyon Knighton on the third leg for their strong performances on turns. This astute observation by the fan might pan out with a victory in Paris, if not presently implemented.

To maximize the team’s performance in the relay event, one X user suggested another lineup strategy. Besides Noah Lyles and Bednarek, they also preferred Coleman in the relay team. Considering that Coleman has had sub-10 performances this year, this comment seemed to resonate with the truth of him being more formidable than the other contenders in the lineup.

Another fan seemed confident about breaching the world record with Lyles, Coleman, Bednarek, and Knighton on the team. According to their personal opinion, this team might make a world record of 36.80 seconds. The holy quartet does seem to have speed on their side, so a 36.80 might seem likely given the possible permutation posed by the user here.

Another enraged fan not satisfied by the fact that Lindsey is included, referred to him as “the slowest” and opined that the authority should “TAKE HIM OFF”. While this may provoke most of Lindsey’s fans, the user hinted that his speed might pale in comparison to the holy triumvirate of the other sprinters.

Thus, with a stacked roster, Team USA seems to have a problem in hand. With so many combinations to choose from, it is up to them to decide the best one to get the job done as Paris inches closer.