US star Noah Lyles is getting closer and closer to sprint GOAT Usain Bolt’s best times on the track, but insists he cannot call himself the ‘fastest man on earth’ just yet
Noah Lyles insists the tag of the ‘fastest man on earth’ still belongs to Usain Bolt.
Lyles claimed Olympic gold in the 100m in Paris last summer in a personal best time of 9.79 seconds, although he couldn’t quit complete the sprint double, having to settle for third in the 200m in 19.70. It later emerged that Lyles had tested positive for Covid prior to that race, which hindered his performance.
While the Florida-born racer is undoubtedly the current king of speed in the athletics world, he cannot yet claim the mantel of Bolt, who still holds the world records in both the 100m and 200m. They were both set way back in 2009.
During an appearance on the Beyond the Records Podcast with Mr Beast, it was put to Lyles that he was the fastest man on the planet. He said: “I’m the world’s fastest man [at the moment], you get it with the title of being the Olympic champion. Technically, the world’s fastest man, and the fastest man alive, is Usain Bolt.”
Asked if he would ever be able to best Bolt’s PBs – 9.58 in the 100m and 19.19 in the 200m – Lyles replied: “I’m knocking on the door of the 200m [his best is 19.31]. 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.”
GET INVOLVED! Do you think Noah Lyles will beat Usain Bolt’s records? Tell us in the comments section.
Lyles is adamant he has plenty of time left to beat Bolt’s various milestones as he discussed how long he has got left at the top. He added: “They used to say it was around 30 [when a sprinter reaches their peak] but with technology now, it’s more like 35.
“And then you’ve got people like Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce [who is 38 and still at the top of the sport]. I’ve just reached what they consider peak fitness for my age. So 26 through 31/32 is what they consider to be peak.”
Lyles could have as many as two Olympic Games left in him – Los Angeles in 2028 and Brisbane in 2032.
Join our new WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don’t like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you’re curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.
