Noah Lyles’ American Promise Leaves Track and Field Fans Divided Ahead of Paris Olympics: “Not Even Top 3”

US track and field icon Noah Lyles is supremely confident about the upcoming Olympic Games in Paris. “Usain Bolt was the fastest man ever to do it, and soon, it’ll be me” is one of the many things Lyles has said to showcase his belief ahead of Paris. However, the highlight reel hype video of the 2023 100m champ, posted on July 2, took the cake.

“America I got this!” the 2023 200m world champion assured track fans in his post. However, it was the claim that he made in the highlight reel that ruffled some feathers. Noah Lyles’ video contained snippets from interviews and winning moments of his. However, above all, it showcased self-belief when he claimed to be “the fastest man in the world.”

The 26-year-old sprinter silenced many of his critics last year after dominating the World Championships. Lyles completed the treble, winning gold in the 100m, 200m, and 4x100m relay, catapulting his confidence to stratospheric heights. However, the sprinter has been unable to replicate that success so far, as he hasn’t topped the list of the fastest sprinters this year.

Yet, it’s done little to dampen his confidence. Bolstered by a sensational performance at the U.S. Olympic trials, Noah Lyles has once again set his sights on beating Usain Bolt’s long-standing Olympic records. “Yeah, why not… that’s my plan,” Lyles said after matching his 9.83s personal best at Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon.

Yet, his best performance this year came during the 200m Olympic trials. With a 19.53s, 200m dash, Noah Lyles set a world lead and meet record at the Olympic trials. The performance boosted his confidence as he feels it will translate to the 100m race in Paris. By believing that he has what it takes to become the fastest man in history, there’s a lot riding on Lyles’ coattails.

However, Noah Lyles has to deal with Bolt’s countrymen, Kishane Thompson and Oblique Seville, who might just one-up Lyles, given their current trajectory. Thompson occupies the top spot as the fastest man of 2024 with 9.77s. Seville holds third place with 9.82s, 0.01 sec, over Lyles’ best. This might also be the reason why not all track fans share the American’s perspective.

Some think Noah Lyles is daydreaming and is way off

While many, including Noah Lyles, have come close to Usain Bolt’s Olympic record of 9.63s, no one has managed to beat it. However, Usain Bolt became the fastest man alive by running even faster, finishing a 100m spirit in 9.58s in 2019. Hence, a section of fans didn’t think Noah Lyles should make such bold claims with a 9.83s personal best. “Fastest active man alive. Last I checked Bolt is still alive and kicking,” commented one fan. However, others didn’t agree with this statement either.

“Fastest man alive? You’re not even the fastest man this year, not even top 3,” wrote one fan. The fan was spot on with his statement as the 2023 world champion sits in 4th place in the 100m sprinters of the 2024 list. Ferdinand Omanyala fills up the second spot between Kishane Thompson and Oblique Seville. The Kenyan ran 100m in 9.79s in June this year. However, not everyone was so critical of the American track icon.

“Bro just finish this in Paris and you get me as your lifetime Fan. It’s hard to put you over Usain Bolt. But prove me wrong. LFG and Good Luck.” commented one fan, who wanted to see Noah Lyles live up to his words. Yet, not everyone could be so optimistic. One fan showed how much ground the 26-year-old has to cover to claim the ‘World’s Fastest Man’ title.

“1. The world’s fastest man ever is Usain Bolt. 2. You ran the 4th fastest time this year (2024) at 9.83 seconds. 3. You are ranked at #17 as the fastest time ever. I am not trying to knock you, but facts matter,” the fan wrote. Putting things into perspective, Usain Bolt’s 9.58 record has stood like an insurmountable wall for years. While a few athletes like Yohan Blake have run sub-9.7s sprints, no one has managed to crack the 9.6s barrier before or after the Jamaican legend.

However, some of Lyles’ dedicated fans rooted for the Olympic bronze medalist’s success. “Excited to go on this ride!” wrote one fan, while another named him “The REAL World Champion!!!!” The video gave one fan “Goosebumps!!” as he couldn’t contain his excitement to see Lyles run in Paris. “I can’t wait! Let’s GO!” However, even some of his supporters couldn’t swallow the fact that Noah Lyles considered himself the fastest sprinter alive. “Love your energy but the ‘fastest man alive’ thing is incorrect. Make more content but keep it real,” one fan commented.

There is no doubt that Noah Lyles is among the best track athletes in the world. The 26-year-old is supremely confident with his abilities as well. However, whether that’s enough to help him run faster than 9.58s in the Paris Olympics remains to be seen.