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Topics: Athletics, Noah Lyles, Olympics, Usain Bolt
James Taylor
Topics: Athletics, Noah Lyles, Olympics, Usain Bolt
Noah Lyles has fired a stark warning at Usain Bolt following the Jamaican legend's 'not as talented' dig.
Lyles finished last week's World Athletics Championships with two golds and a bronze medal.
After taking bronze in the 100m, he claimed gold in the 200m, before anchoring a dominant American quartet to victory in the men's 4x100m relay.
It was a powerful response from Lyles, who had been the subject of criticism from Bolt. The pair have clashed in the past, and Bolt was recently asked why modern sprinters have struggled to challenge his world record times.
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In an interview with The Times, Bolt said: “You want the real answer? We’re just more talented. That’s all I’m saying. Of course, it shows when it comes to the men. You can see the women are different. The young women are coming up.
"They’re running faster and faster times [with the new shoes]. I’m just saying, ‘You can’t run faster with brand new spikes?’ We’re just way more talented men."
But Lyles has now issued a challenge to Bolt, declaring this aim to break Bolt's 200m world record next year.
In an interview with La Gazzetta dello Sport, Lyles said: "Next season will be a season without any major global events, without any major stress: it's natural for me to look beyond that.
"But in reality, I have a more immediate goal."
"I still have to talk to Coach B (Lance Brauman) about it, but I'd like to create the right opportunity to go after Bolt's 19.19 world record."
Lyles won the 200m title in Tokyo with a time of 19.52 seconds, but he has run faster before, clocking 19.31s in 2022.
That personal best makes him the third fastest man in history, although Bolt ran quicker at both the 2009 World Championships and the 2008 Olympics.
Yohan Blake also ran faster, posting 19.26s at a Diamond League meet in 2011. Lyles defended Tokyo performance, arguing that the cluster of sprinting events at a major championships rarely produces the fastest times.
"Two or three specially created events in the space of a month, with the best players, by invitation, competing in one-off matches," Lyles added.
"In the World Championship final, when, like in my case, you're in the sixth round in a week, it's difficult to be incredibly strong.
"This would be different."
Although it is an ambitious goal for the 28-year-old, Lyles has time on his side with no global athletics meet until the 2027 World Championships in Beijing.