Noah Lyles has always been involved in some kind of fiasco, whether it’s on or off track. After securing his career-first Olympic gold medal in Paris, which was in the 100m finals against a fierce Kishane Thompson, the American athlete has been engaged in many kinds of activities. Eventually, he found himself in a $100,000 friendly 50m dash against YouTuber IShowSpeed, which was conducted by MrBeast, and both of them got into an intense track battle, which saw Lyles edging out the streamer with a tiny margin. 

Even though this sprint was friendly, this caught a ton of attention online, as many social media users were astonished to see the athleticism displayed by IShowSpeed, racing against the current 100m Olympic champion. Who else was attracted to the race? It was none other than track legend Justin Gatlin who gave his insights on Lyles’ lack of pace.

Track legend points out crucial details

On his Ready Set Go podcast, with his co-host Rodney Green, Justin Gatlin has always talked about any recent track and field events or updates happening out there. However, as it’s the off-season in the sport, there are no professional events that are taking place. So, such friendly sprints keep up with the fans who are awaiting some track action from their favorite sports stars. 

Gatlin was impressed by the confidence of Speed. He acknowledged that running against the reigning Olympic champion is no straightforward task, but still, the YouTuber didn’t flinch for a challenge. Furthermore, in a funny way, the track legend associated with the streamer’s name is the source of his raw pace, stating, “Listen man, it says in his name. His name is Speedy. So you got a little foot speed to him, he has to, at the end of the day.”

The retired four-time world champion was also aware of the public perception that was going on after this friendly sprint. While many thought that Speed could’ve beat Lyles in a sprint, Gatlin focused on a crucial detail, stating, “Um, but like I told people, Noah is, this is November. Noah is in no shape whatsoever. He’s not in speed and dirt in shape. He’s not in speed shape. That’s just his raw wake-up, not in-shape speed right there, and that’s what he gave.”

Currently, the track and field athletes are undergoing an off-season in the sport. This list also includes Noah Lyles, who is having endeavors out of sprinting. But what difference does this make? Generally, athletes don’t go much training in the off-season like they usually do when there’s any major event coming up. So, as per Gatlin, Speed was lucky that the Olympic champion wasn’t in his best shape, or else the results would’ve been far different. 

Apart from all the minute details, the 50m dash was a sight to behold for many fans of Lyles who were waiting for the track star to run, even if it was just a friendly sprint. However, losing even to the Olympic champion got that rival spark in Speed as he wanted another bout against him.

IShowSpeed’s big demand for Noah Lyles after the loss

While the friendly sprint between Speed and Noah Lyles ended in a thin margin between the two competitors, it was enough to give the Olympic champion flashbacks of the night in Paris, where he defeated Jamaica’s Kishane Thompson with just a gap of 0.005 seconds. The YouTuber raced against the American athlete, and since he lost the $100,000 challenge, the competitive spirit inside him wanted a rematch. 

“Let’s go again. Let’s do a rematch… You hear him? You hear him? He barely won any Talking Crate. He barely won any Talking Crate. He didn’t even win!” said Speed. Even if the YouTuber was in no mood to accept his defeat, with a demand for a rematch, his offer was immediately rejected by the Olympic champion.

Lyles had no intention of running against Speed for another time, and he did make a joke about how he wished he could’ve given the $100,000 to him. Furthermore, the gold medalist claimed that the full money would be donated to The Lyles Brothers Sports Foundation. What are your thoughts on the competition that brewed between Lyles and the YouTuber? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.