Track and field fans love the USATF Journey to Gold Zone Podcast. A snippet of the conversation with Noah Lyles and Wallace Spearmon from that podcast went viral once it was uploaded to the official USATF account. In the video, Lyles discusses his mentality leading up to the 2024 Paris Olympics. And, especially how he is prepared for any challenge that could emerge.
In the viral IG video, Spearmon asks the Olympic runner a question, saying, “Is Noah really looking to do the one hundred, 200, and both relays in Paris? Isn’t that a little greedy?” The Olympic sprinter, however, replied with a huge smile:
“What’s wrong with greedy? I don’t think there’s anything wrong. But the way I see it is if you want to make it onto the Mount Rushmore of track and field, you gotta do things that people haven’t done. And if I feel that I can train myself to be able to do multiple of each, I want to try and accomplish that.”
Lyles knows that competing in the Olympics is no laughing matter for any athlete. His accomplishments speak for themselves. But the sprinter wants the selectors to have more options for him, even if he specializes in a particular race length.
The only thing that matters to him is that Team USA wins as many medals as possible at the next Olympics. Noah Lyles’ determination ahead of the big event also became a hit among fans. One fan wrote, “Noah is going to better and better.. he will do it..” This fan has high hopes for the team; as they say, “US relay pool looking good.”
Another fan highlighted the Olympic runner’s eligibility, saying, “He’s already medaled this year in a USA 4×400 @ Worlds. That should qualify him for the pool.”
Comparing Lyles to swimming legend Michael Phelps, this fan said, “Ain’t no one called Michael Phelps ‘greedy’ when he went for 8.” It looks like this fan just loved the motivational words by Lyles, saying, “Love this content! Very insightful!”
The reply of Noah Lyles on the recent backlash
Team USA’s 4×400-meter relay team won silver at the 2024 World Athletics Indoor Championships. However, Noah Lyles was caught in an online criticism fiasco as he competed in the relay race. Nevertheless, the Olympic runner recently spoke frankly about the criticism he received in an interview with Yahoo Sports.
Lyles was very much open to the criticism he faced. He also proceeded to mention that no athlete’s seat is fixed before major events, and everyone has to prove themselves. Lyles also mentioned how he was invited to the relay team just a few hours before the finals.
Rather than turning down the offer, Lyles accepted the challenge. He even clocked in the quickest third leg of the race. The Olympic runner was grateful to the officials, as they gave him a chance to face this challenge. In anticipation of the next Olympics, Noah Lyles, like many other American athletes, is ready to compete. The only target on his mind is the gold medal.
