“Forget the feet, it’s the clavicle,” NBC’s Mike Tirico quipped, highlighting the razor-thin margin that crowned Noah Lyles, the world’s fastest man. In a photo finish at the men’s 100m final, Noah Lyles claimed gold with a personal best of 9.79 seconds. Jamaica’s Kishane Thompson was a hair’s breadth away, separated by just five-thousandths of a second. With the Olympic gold now in hand, Lyles turned his focus to the 200m, where his performance ignited excitement, and Fred Kerley’s playful jab added fuel to their growing rivalry. Noah Lyles’ claim to being the fastest man has certainly stirred up track fans. But how does he compare to Usain Bolt? The Olympic legend set the 100m world record at 9.58 seconds in 2009. With a personal best of 9.81 seconds, Lyles is ranked 15th in the world by World Athletics.

On August 5, 2024, Kerley told Yahoo Sports with a grin, “Talk your s***, man,” in response to Noah Lyles’ bold predictions. Lyles had promised a lightning-fast 100m time of 9.65 seconds, aiming to become the second fastest man ever. He told his followers that he would run the 100m in 9.65 seconds before the big race, which would make him the second-fastest man ever. Lyles, who has won the 200m race twice before, had a personal best time of 9.86 seconds for the 100m. After this achievement, he was confident enough after clinching gold and dared Kenny Bednarek, saying, “That man ain’t winning.”

He confidently added, “None of them is winning. When I come off the turn, they will all be depressed,” signaling his serious preparation. Although his fastest 100m time this year is 9.94 seconds, which places him outside the top 10 globally, his determination remains clear. Lyles also hopes to win the 200m race for the third time and believes he can break Usain Bolt’s world record time of 19.19 seconds for that race. He feels confident because the times he ran in practice and his last race were faster than before last year’s big race, where he won the 200m in 19.31 seconds, an American record.

So, when he was asked how he feels about this 200m, he said to Yahoo Sports, “Pretty confident, can’t lie.” But, by looking at Fred Kerley’s comment, it is pretty clear he could beat him, as his personal best is 9.76. But, on that note, later, on Peacock on Friday, in response to that, Noah replied that if someone believes that you will run faster, you do not believe in yourself. He added, “I don’t care if you guys think I can do it. I don’t even care if I don’t do it. But I’m definitely going to say what I believe I can do. Because if I can’t tell that to myself, then how am I going to believe it’s going to happen?”– revealing how he always motivates himself. Will his dedication and self-reliance earn him victory over Bednarek?

Noah Lyles vs. the world: Rivalries heat up with Fred Kerley and Bednarek

Noah Lyles and Fred Kerley’s rivalry began in 2020. They first clashed at the 2021 US Olympic Trials. In 2022, Kerley narrowly beat Lyles by 0.02 seconds at the World Championships. On Sunday at the Stade de France, Lyles proved his point. He won America’s first gold in the men’s 100 meters in 20 years with a personal best of 9.78 seconds. Lyles edged past Jamaica’s Kishane Thompson, crossing the finish line just in time to solidify his claim as the world’s fastest man.

Once, he confidently announced to AFP, “I beat everyone I touch,” indicating his dominance in track and field. The other runners with the best chance to push Lyles include Bednarek and Erriyon Knighton, the two other Americans in the race. Bednarek won the silver medal in the 200 m at the 2021 Olympics. Knighton, still only 20 years old, has won medals in the world championships for the 200m event over the past two years.

But, in response to Noah Lyles, Bednarek said on Saturday, throwing a challenge to all other sprinters, “Just know that every single time I step on the track, I’m always a threat.” After that, even though Noah Lyles did not reciprocate or engage in trash-talking, his previous talks were enough to show that he is ready to fight on the field, no matter who comes in between him and Olympic gold. The stage is now set for the next chapter of this thrilling rivalry. Who will seize the spotlight and clinch gold in the 200m at Paris? The answer awaits.