“I could have had a better start, but the transitions were great and coming away with a PB, this has been what I prayed for and what I wanted…” Noah Lyles said this after winning the fastest race in history at the 2024 Paris Olympics. After all, that was a 100m final so wild that no one even knew who had won till a few minutes after….But, quite ironically, despite that win making Lyles the “world’s fastest man“, it’s now looking like the crown of the 100m GOAT is slipping further away from his reach. Confused?
It’s not easy to say this, but Noah Lyles is now slipping further down in the conversation of all-time 100m greats. Do you remember, back in 2023, while speaking about the 100m world record, Lyles had said, “I know that I’m going to break it.” But in 2025, that goal is beginning to look far from reality. Firstly, because we still haven’t seen how Lyles’ 100m form is looking this season. But more importantly, because he just dropped down on a very crucial list, while his rival climbed up….
On June 28, an infographic featuring the men’s 100m all-time list started making the rounds online. It showcased the fastest 100m men in history, which just got a fresh tweak after Kishane Thompson ran a stunning 9.75s world-leading time in the 100m finals of the Jamaican National Championships, on Friday. That didn’t just make him the World Lead in the 100m, but also the 6th fastest 100m man in history! But are you wondering how this affects Noah Lyles?
Well, Lyles’ 9.79s win in Paris had previously tied with Thompson and Maurice Green for the #11 spot on the all-time list. It still wasn’t enough to crack the top 10. But now, Kishane has climbed from that spot up to #6, while Lyles has been bumped down further to #12. Interestingly, Lyles’ American competitors, Christian Coleman and Fred Kerley, continue to be well-positioned in the list on the 7th and 9th spots, respectively. And while some might feel this is a small shift, this actually may be a likely sign that Lyles’ authority as reigning World and Olympic champion in the 100m is in for a serious test.
Kishane Thompson moving up the 100m all-time list with his 9.75. pic.twitter.com/YseJpVfszD
— Travis Miller (@travismillerx13) June 28, 2025
Also, this comes shortly after certain veterans have already pointed out that this might happen. 8 days ago, in an interview, Michael Johnson called out Noah Lyles, saying, “Noah’s problem is, according to him, ‘I’m the fastest man in the world. I’m the fastest man in the world.’ If your position is, if you’ve got to keep trying to explain to people that you’re the fastest man in the world because of something that you did last year, we are the answer to your problem, because you have to continue to prove to people that you’re the best.”
Well, that’s true! Noah Lyles really needs to get back on track and regain his authority, which is under some serious threat at the moment. And this is something that not just Michael Johnson, but a track and field coach has also pointed out very recently.
Can Noah Lyles go faster than 9.79 or not?
Let’s be honest, Noah Lyles hasn’t run a single 100m race competitively in the past 10 months. And that isn’t a promising sign to have when the World Championships are just 2 months away. But it’s also true that in 2024, he dropped sub-10 in eight out of ten 100m races, which is consistency at its peak. However, while the Florida-native can snatch back the lead, a few are doubting if that’s even possible now.
After Michael Johnson’s comment, Coach Rob said on the June 27 episode of his podcast, Coach Rob Track and Field, that while Noah Lyles has been the most consistent sprinter on the world stage, especially in the World Champ finals, he isn’t sure if Lyles can shave his timings lower than that. He speculated, “But I have also been very clear about my feelings on it, which is I don’t have evidence that he can go 9.7 mid, 9.7 low. That evidence isn’t there.” We can only imagine if such opinions have strengthened after they see Noah Lyles dip further on the 100m all-time list. What do you think? Let us know in the comment sections below!
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