Noah Lyles Suffers $317,220 Defeat as African Track and Field Rising Star Outshines USA Star in Annual Earnings

This year was huge for track and field; seriously, there was so much going on. We had new innovations, prize money skyrocketing, and a rollercoaster of ups and downs. For Team USA? They crushed it at the 2024 Paris Olympics, walking away with 34 medals in track and field—14 gold, 11 silver, and 9 bronze. Total dominance, right? But the real buzz wasn’t just about the medals; it was the new stars who popped up out of nowhere, making names for themselves and cashing in big time. Fame, money, and medals? Yeah, they got it all.

And speaking of cashing in, let’s talk about Noah Lyles. He had a pretty solid Olympics, winning gold in the 100m and bronze in the 200m. That gold medal alone scored him $50,000 since Paris introduced prize money for podium finishes this year. But here’s where it gets interesting: an African sprinter, just 23 years old and practically unknown before Paris, came in and grabbed her own gold in the 100m. Same $50k for her win, but guess what? She ended up earning way more than Noah in races!

Noah Lyles’ year of wins and bucks, but who beat him by over $300K?

Noah Lyles had a pretty solid year, kicking things off at the New Balance Indoor Grand Prix, where he snagged $3,000 for his performance in the 60-meter event. Not bad, right? Then he kept the momentum going, earning $6,000 for taking the title at the USA Indoor Championships—a key step toward qualifying for the World Athletics Indoor Championships. But the big bucks came in Glasgow, where he pocketed $20,000 in an individual race in the 60m and another $5,000 for helping Team USA secure silver in the 4x400m relay. And let’s not forget the Bahamas, where he helped Team USA clinch gold in the 100m relay and walked away with $10,000. From there, he added smaller wins: $5,000 for a 200m title at the NYC Grand Prix S5000, $1,600, and $1,200 in Bermuda’s and Racers Grand Prix, respectively.

A highlight of that year was the U.S. Olympic Trials; this time they paid him $11,000 for both the 100m and the 200m. Next was the Paris Olympics, through which Lyles fetched the gold in the 100m and received $50,000. And, as also pledged, Sharon Sharpe added $50,000 to that gold medal win. That is so cool, is it not? On top of this year, Lyles won $10,000 during the 100m event at the London Diamond League; thus, his earnings reached a reasonable $172,800 by the end of the year.

But here’s the twist: still, where Lyles was grabbing accolades, there was another young and richer superstar in the making, 23-year-old Julien Alfred in 2024.

Suddenly, Julien Alfred emerged this year, and not long ago, she began the year on fire and clinched the gold in the 60-meter final at the World Indoor Championships held in Glasgow with 6.98 seconds. That alone earned her $40,000. Fast forward to Paris, and she did it again, won the 100m gold, and collected another $50,000. Then came the Diamond League, where she increased her total earnings to $30,000. But here’s where it gets crazy: In September, the government of Saint Lucia honored her Olympic medal pride of the country by rewarding her with a whopping $370,020! When the year came to an end, Julien earned $490,020, making her way ahead of Noah Lyles in the earnings list. The difference? A cool $317,220.

Of course, we cannot leave out one of the biggest highlights of Noah Lyles’ year, his unofficial race against iShowSpeed. Yep, you read that right. All of it happened in Orlando, Florida, when MrBeast decided to bet a whole $100,000 on Lyles to triumph. And, of course, Lyles didn’t disappoint. Hence, adding that $100,000 to his season total brings his total to $312,800. Impressive, right? However, that figure is still $177,220 less than what Julien Alfred makes, a lot of difference! Now, here’s the real question: Whose net worth is more?

Noah Lyles vs. Julien Alfred: Who earns more?

Noah Lyles isn’t just fast; he is using that speed to make some major transitions off the track as well. He’s teamed up with big brands like Celsius, Adidas, and Omega, and after snagging that gold medal, he’s got his eyes on an even bigger prize: his own signature sneaker. “I want my own shoe. Ain’t no money in spikes,” he said, but he’s got the big picture in mind. And it’s not just about the deals—he’s also got a special on Peacock called Untitled: The Noah Lyles Project. That and everything else have contributed to increasing his overall net worth to approximately $5 million. But what about Alfred?

Julien Alfred’s net worth is somewhere between $1 million and $5 million as of July 2024. One of the big highlights of her year was signing a major deal with Puma in July 2023, which really set her career in motion. She first showed off her new partnership at the Monaco Diamond League, where she raced in Puma gear! It’s clear that her star is only getting brighter but is lagging behind Noah Lyles in terms of net worth.