The track and field community is aware of Noah Lyles’ objectives as he strives to achieve the pinnacle of sprinting excellence. Rodney Green weighed in on this and outlined a roadmap for the American athlete to achieve the same degree of supremacy as Usain Bolt.
In the most recent episode of the Ready Set Go podcast, Justin Gatlin, wearing a Team Jamaica jersey, was surprised when Green indicated that if Lyles wanted to cement his dominance in the sport, he needed to win the major races again.
On an unexpected note, the retired four-time world champion questioned, “Do what? The 100, again?” Green responded by saying:
“He has to win the 100, again. He has to.“
“Really? Are you serious? I don’t think so,” Gatlin replied, surprised by Green’s statement about Lyles. However, the retired Bahamian sprinter had to explain the reasoning behind his assertion about the current 100-meter Olympic champion to his podcast co-host.
He asked Gatlin, “How many World Championships does Bolt have?” The American replied calmly, saying:
“But we can’t judge him against Bolt, though, bro.”
Green then explained that he was not evaluating Lyles against Bolt but rather wanted to focus on the statistics that made the Jamaican a legendary figure in track and field.
The number of times he could compete in major tournaments, such as the World Championships and the Olympic Games, and win the top honor in each, propelled him to the pinnacle of the sport. Green also stressed that Bolt excelled in both the 100 and 200 meters.
The level of competitiveness that the Jamaican fed the track audience back then was also one reason why the community was unable to give Lyles the same title, even though he won not only the 100-meter World Championships but also the Olympic gold medal in that category.
Green added that the American sprinter does not have to go through all of this, but if he truly wants to reach that level in track and field, he must win these honors again in the coming seasons. The Bahamian emphasized the key factor that Bolt possessed during his time competing in the sport, stating:
“What makes duplicating Usain Bolt hard? What makes him duplicating hard is winning back-to-back championships. That’s what makes him being hard, not winning one time. You could win one time, but can you do it back to back? And the longevity of gold medals is what makes Bolt so great.“
Green wanted to emphasize that Bolt’s impressive record of gold medals helped shape him into the dominant athlete he was during his time competing.
While having numerous medals, whether silver or bronze, was an excellent accomplishment, he underlined that Lyles needs to focus on gold more in the future and that he should do so back-to-back in important tournaments every season.
Green complimented the American on his World and Olympic titles in the 100 meters but emphasized that he needed to do it again. The upcoming 2025 Tokyo World Championships will serve as a proving ground for Lyles, as he will defend not just his 100-meter title but also his 200-meter title, which he won in Budapest in 2023.
