There has been much debate over Usain Bolt‘s 100-meter and 200-meter records for quite some time. Nevertheless, the Jamaican icon was enticed when Noah Lyles announced his intention to attempt to break the 200-meter WR in the upcoming Paris Olympics. In an interview with Citius Mag, Bolt also expressed his thoughts on Lyles being a potential candidate for his WR.
The Jamaican icon’s WRs have been the target of several attempts by sportsmen. But even after all those attempts, the two WRs have remained untouchable for more than a decade.
Asking Bolt on the stage of track and field today piqued the interviewer’s interest. Even in his response, the Jamaican great spared no fills. He claims that, due to the high level of competitiveness, the track scene is thriving.
He elaborates by saying that breaking these WRs is never simple, especially because his record hasn’t been surpassed for quite some time. Usain Bolt, nevertheless, points out that Noah Lyles has the potential to smash his 200-meter WR.
However, apart from just assuming Lyles would break the WR, Bolt also sent out a few pointers he noticed, saying:
“It was never easy. I’ve said it, and I’ve always said it’s not easy running like back-to-back events and then going to break a WR because your body runs out of energy, so you’re not ready, but I think the possibility is there because he came close, I think, at the World Championships. I feel like if he corrects a few things, I won’t say he could get better.”
At Bolt’s denial of being asked how to break a WR, the interviewer, and Bolt couldn’t help but laugh. As the Paris Olympics take place this year, the Jamaican icon is anticipating a great deal of athleticism from the competitors.
How close can Noah Lyles get to Usain Bolt’s WR?
At the 2024 World Athletics Indoor Championships in Glasgow, Noah Lyles won silver in two events. However, all eyes are on the Paris Olympics this year. Even though he has a lot of events scheduled outside of the Olympics, winning gold in Paris is his utmost priority.
This American track star almost broke Usain Bolt’s 19.19-second WR in Eugene, at the 2022 World Athletics Championships. He ran a remarkable 19.31 seconds, a time that even Bolt acknowledged and praised. Lyles is resolute in his pursuit of a 19.10-second mark, which would be sufficient to shatter the long-standing WR.
