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Legendary Canadian sprinter Andre De Grasse is of positive opinion on his American rival Noah Lyles, classifying his big personality as good for the sport and how he motivates him to get better.
Canadian Olympic champion Andre De Grasse has commended Noah Lyles' big personality, which he believes is good for the sport following the conclusion of the 2024 Paris Olympics.
The highly-rated sprinter who anchored the Canadian men's 4x100m relay squad to the gold medal, thus continuing his streak of medalling in his third consecutive Olympics has nothing but praises for Lyles on how he's bringing attention to athletics.
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"No man, I like what he's doing for the sport. I mean, to be honest, I mean, it's bringing eyes to the sport," said De Grasse in an interview with @CBCOLYMPICS.
Lyles and De Grasse have been fierce rivals in the 200m event since 2021, when the Canadian blazed to the Tokyo Olympics title, with the American settling for the bronze medal.
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However, that redefining moment changed Lyles' perspective and attitude if he were to have an athletics legacy and end his career as one of the greatest sprinters in history.
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09:14 - 12.08.2024
'I'm confident in myself' - Noah Lyles declares he's on LeBron James level amid criticism
Noah Lyles accepts the criticism he faced during the Paris 2024 Olympics and puts himself in all-time class of LeBron James.
Ever since, the 26-year-old has gone on to win two world championship 200m titles (2022 and 2023), as well as the world 100m title last year and the Olympic gold in Paris.
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He was primed as the favourite to add the 200m gold but settled for the same colour as Tokyo, finishing behind Botswana's Letsile Tebogo and Kenny Bednarek.
Lyles losing was an object of controversy with an aftermath revelation he tested positive for COVID two days before the final, which affected his performance. Considering his vocal and bullish personality, he was faced with lots of criticism as fans regarded him as 'faking' and some even called for his arrest on social media platforms like X.
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23:33 - 11.08.2024
Noah Lyles: Olympic gold medalist responds to haters in Louis Vuitton-themed outfit worth over ₦79 MILLION
Criticism has stopped Noah Lyles from dripping in style.
"He's very competitive, his personality is big, I mean that's what we need. So it's good to have the rivalry between, you know, him and myself, and even Canada versus US. I think it's, you know, it brings back gusto like the old days," replied De Grasse in his defense of Lyles after being labeled as 'arrogant and proud' by gold medallist Tebogo.
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23:18 - 11.08.2024
Paris 2024: Noah Lyles addresses criticisms on his pre-race gimmicks before his controversial Olympic 200m final
Following this backlash and assumptions from fans after Paris 2024 Olympic 200m final, Noah Lyles has come out to clear the air on why he was jumping before his race despite being sick with COVID.
"They said like in 1996 with you know, with Donovan and Bruny, racing against those guys, in 96' in Atlanta. So something like we know we're kind of continuing the tradition. So, it feels pretty good. I mean, to obviously win and make that happen.
De Grasse concluded by saying Lyles motivates him to bring out his best.
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00:50 - 09.08.2024
'This is not the Olympics I dreamed of' - Noah Lyles reflects on 200m loss, congratulates Tebogo and Bednarek
With an unexpected defeat in the men's 200m final at Paris 2024 Olympics, Noah Lyles had little yet so much to say reflecting on his loss to Letsile Tebogo.
"But you know, I love what Noah is doing for the sport, it's very fun. It's very competitive, and he definitely motivates me a lot to bring out my best. So you know, I think he's shining. He's doing his thing."
De Grasse has won 14 medals across the Olympics, World Championships, and World Relays, which makes him one of the most consistent sprinters in the past decade.
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