Throughout the 2024 season, Noah Lyles completely dominated the competition against a grid of many talented athletes. Despite his track supremacy, he received a lot of criticism online from naysayers.
A track fan on X, Jake Johnson, recently stated, “The disrespect @LylesNoah gets unreal.” Even after becoming the 100-meter Olympic champion, the track star’s opinions and thoughts were met with vehement criticism from many people.
One of those comments, “Speed is just genetics anyway,” completely irritated Johnson. The fan also cited NFL player Tyreek Hill, who had previously expressed his desire to compete against Lyles in a one-on-one sprint, as part of his controversial views on track athletes.
“What people like Bolt & Lyles have done for the sport, folks like Tyreek bring it right back down.“
Johnson emphasized that the negativity surrounding the sport directly impacted the legacies of track athletes like legend Usain Bolt and Lyles. The 100-meter Olympic champion eventually discovered the social media post and responded:
“It’s ok, the thoughts of twitter do not reflect the thoughts of the world. In person I have been blessed to have people come up to me and tell me how much I have inspired them and others.“
Lyles was aware of the internet criticism but wasn’t worried by it. According to him, the negativity in these comments could not disguise the wonderful aspects of the sport.
While he faced criticism, he also met many people who admired him and saw the 27-year-old as an inspiration. Overall, Lyles intended to clarify that he was more concerned with the sport’s supportive fan base than the doubters.
It’s ok, the thoughts of twitter do not reflect the thoughts of the world.
In person I have been blessed to have people come up to me and tell me how much I have inspired them and others.— Noah Lyles, OLY (@LylesNoah) September 19, 2024
Lyles dismisses Tyreek’s challenge, suggests 60m indoor race
In the midst of these conflicting opinions, the American sprinter appeared on SportsCenter a few days ago, and the host wanted to know the athlete’s thoughts on whether a competition against Tyreek Hill was genuinely possible.
Lyles promptly supported his accusation that the NFL player was only seeking attention, which he received. After winning in Paris, Noah became the fastest man on the track, so he knew everyone, including Hill, wanted to race him.
However, the track star downplayed the possibility of a 100-meter race between the two, noting that Hill would have to pass through numerous other track competitors before coming to him. Given the NFL star’s track history, Lyles also hinted at a potential 60-meter indoor race between the two.
