Noah Lyles has always been under the community’s radar owing to his statements, which are sometimes really controversial. What has the track star done recently? A few weeks ago, the 100m Olympic champion attended an interview with LetsRun, and while having a conversation, he went candid, stating, “No one cares about the 200m.” 

Undoubtedly, the track and field community was not overly pleased when the statement gained widespread attention. There was a huge turmoil of opinions, as most of them were against Lyles, not liking his attitude towards the category where he wasn’t able to win an Olympic gold medal, getting defeated by Letsile Tebogo a few months ago in Paris. So, recently, this statement was taken in an intriguing look by a track legend, who had nothing but a small warning for the American sprinter.

Hoping for a heated 200m grid

So who was the track legend? It is Justin Gatlin, who gave his candid thought to Noah Lyles’ statement on his Ready Set Go podcast. Throughout the season there was a ton of anticipation from the American to dominate the 200m grid. However, due to getting affected by COVID, Lyles mentioned that he wasn’t able to give his all in the finals, resulting in him settling for a bronze medal, behind teammate Kenny Bednarek and Botswanan rival Letsile Tebogo, who won the gold medal.

The heat between Tebogo and Lyles would escalate, which is what the fans expected, hoping for a tight 200m grid in the upcoming seasons. However, owing to the American sprinter’s recent statements, Gatlin had to weigh in with some advice, stating, “I would love for him to kind of roll his sleeves up and go to work on that 200, and why I say this? Because he made a comment before where he wants to go after, threaten the world record in the 200. Now maybe now, 100m Noah doesn’t feel like there’s no reason to do so.”

The retired four-time world champion is aware of the promises that Lyles made heading into the 2024 season. Most of the time, Lyles expressed his desire to beat Usain Bolt’s 200m world record from the 2009 World Championships. However, his aspiration to surpass Usain Bolt’s 200m world record from the 2009 World Championships has faded, as evidenced by Lyles’ statements during an interview with LetsRun. But why does the track legend want the 27-year-old to put his efforts into the 200m, even if he’s the 100m Olympic champion now?

“The effort that he would give to put out there it would potentially kill two birds with one stone, and what I mean by that is he would be making history breaking that record, but also we know that that’s what Tebogo is going to be focused on,” Gatlin conveyed his advice to Lyles, to chase the 200m, and continued, stating, “We know the fact that he’s trying to make his mark in that 200 realm. That’s going to be his sweet spot. It’s going to look like, oh, Noah dropped down to the 100, which left the 200 vacant. Does that mean vacant, or does that mean you got pushed out?”

With his experience, the track legend knows what Lyles is capable of. Previously, there have been many instances when the American sprinter showcased his potential in the 200m, especially when he broke the American record by running a blistering 19.31 at the 2022 World Championships. So, if the runner can get back to his peak form, he could not only potentially break Bolt’s record but also send his Botswanan rival to oblivion. Gatlin is aware that Tebogo is also aiming for the 200m World Record, and if Lyles manages to achieve it before him, defeating him in his own domain won’t remove the American from the public’s contention in the category.

The host of the Ready Set Go podcast acknowledged that Lyles might not be on the right track, as he has made his intentions clear of not caring about the results in the 200m. However, he encourages Lyles to pursue all his previous aspirations, believing that achieving the aforementioned objectives would position him as one of the world’s greatest sprinters. Tebogo and Lyles have provided a ton of action to the track world over the 2024 campaign, and they also recently had an off-season bout.

Letsile Tebogo crushing Noah Lyles in the off-season

Some weeks ago, track and field entered its off-season for the year 2024. While fans are awaiting the 2025 campaign, rivalries like Letsile Tebogo and Noah Lyles unfolded off the track. But how? As if defeating a fan-favorite, Lyles, at the Stade de France in the 200m to win the Olympic gold medal wasn’t enough for the Botswanan runner, he secured the ANOC Male Athlete of the Year trophy.

He has once again defeated Lyles, and even though it occurred off the track, it is still a significant achievement. This year, the 21-year-old has demonstrated significant potential in various events, particularly the 200m, and he successfully demonstrated his abilities by winning the gold medal in the French capital. In contrast to Lyles, Tebogo kept attending track meets post-Olympics, and even if he didn’t win the Diamond League Final title, it was still a massive season for the prodigy.