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US sprint king Noah Lyles believes he's closer to breaking Usain Bolt's world record but doesn't have the right to 'fastest man on earth' accolade.
The 'fastest man on earth' debate between Noah Lyles and Usain Bolt lingered on so many occasions this season, which has now been settled by the Paris Olympic champion.
Lyles claimed Olympic 100m gold in Paris this summer in a personal best time of 9.79s, but couldn’t quite complete the sprint double, coming home third in the 200m in 19.70s. It later emerged he had tested positive for Covid before his 200m race, which affected his performance.
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Following his 100m victory, which adds to his world title in Budapest in 2023, Lyles was incorrectly tagged by many media publications as the 'fastest man earth' - an accolade given to the fastest man alive with the world record.
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The US sprint king has now set the record straight, stating he cannot yet claim the mantel of Usain Bolt, the legendary icon who still holds the world records in the 100m (9.58s) and 200m (19.19s), set back in 2009.
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“I’m the world’s fastest man [currently], you get it with the title of being the Olympic champion,” he said. “Technically, the world’s fastest man, and the fastest man alive, is Usain Bolt,” said Lyles on the Beyond the Records Podcast with Mr Beast as a guest appearance.
When asked if he would ever be able to eclipse Bolt’s world record's, Lyles replied: “I’m knocking on the door of the 200m [his best is 19.31s]. If it was that easy, I’d have done it five years ago.
“I’m the fastest American to ever live, so I have the American record, like Rai [Benjamin, who joined him on the podcast] in the 400m hurdles, which is pretty cool. We’re just constantly getting closer to breaking world records.”
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However, the 27-year-old is without doubt currently the world's speed king, having won the 100m and 200m world titles in Budapest last year, in addition to his Olympic 100m gold in Paris.
He'll be gunning to strengthen his legacy at the 2025 World Championships in Tokyo next summer by defending his sprint titles.
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