Noah Lyles Continues to Stir Pot for Usain Bolt Controversy: “World Records Are Meant to Broken”
Rules and records both are meant to be broken. Or is it just the latter? With the Paris Olympics approaching, few stories are capturing our minds and hearts. Amid the relentless pursuit of legendary records, Noah Lyles emerged as the central figure.
As he prepares for the NYC Grand Prix slated for June 9th, Lyles is not merely focused on defending on his 200-meter standalone title.
He is on a mission to shatter a feat that has remained unchallenged since he was just a wee lad. Lyles is gearing up to break Usain Bolt‘s iconic world record. Bolt is such a phenom in the 200 m that he had once quipped –“I have dedicated my life to the 200m, I really love the 200m a lot”. It now remains to be seen how dedicated Lyles is going to be.
With three consecutive world titles in the 200 meters, Lyles has already cemented his status as one of the premier sprinters of this generation.
Yet, for Lyles, the taste of success is still waiting to get even sweeter. The world eagerly anticipates the 2024 Paris Olympics. And with that, Lyles’ quest takes on even greater significance. He’s not just aiming to dethrone Bolt’s record.
But running even further he is trying to push the boundaries of what is possible in sprinting. Dream big is the norm and Lyles exemplifies it to the T it seems like.
More than just titles and medals, Lyles is driven by the audacious goal of breaking through the barriers set by his predecessors. To Noah Lyles, breaking the world record is not a mere aim.
He has been declaring it as if it’s a prediction from the oracle. “I know that I’m going to break it”, declared Lyles. The current 200 m world record stands at 19.19 seconds as timed by Bolt back in the 2009 World Championships.
In 2022, clocking a time of 19.31 in Eugene, Oregon, he has already toppled the timing of sprinting legend Michael Johnson. To Lyles, it’s just a matter of time, it seems as he said, “World records are meant to be broken.” In a conversation with NBC, Lyles further continued, “It’s just another goal to check off the list and it’s always fun to go after the top.”