Remember when Noah Lyles straight-up owned the 100m, 200m, AND the 4x100m relay in 2023? That was his breakout moment, and suddenly he was everywhere: flexing, bragging, making waves like the next big thing. Then at the Paris Olympics, he went full-on legend mode, claiming he’d snag three golds and smash Usain Bolt’s records.
Bold? Heck yes. Reality? Just one gold in the 100m. Now, 2025 is around the corner, and Noah’s teasing “big plans” like he’s cooking up something huge, but wait for it right before the Adidas Atlanta City Games, injury news drops, and suddenly, he might not race again anytime soon. So… is Noah’s dream of dominating the World Championships already slipping through his fingers? Well, it looks like he’s got some backup from a true legend to keep him in the fight.
On the Ready Set Go podcast, host Rodney Green sparked a big conversation by asking sprint legend Justin Gatlin if Noah Lyles’ winning the World Championships would push him into GOAT territory. This sparked a deep dive into Noah’s accomplishments and what it takes to enter that elite sprinting like Usain Bolt’s conversation. Justin started by highlighting Noah’s dominance and achievements. “I think if he goes back and defends his World Championship titles from the one, the two, and the 4×1, he’s definitely in the GOAT category,” Gatlin said.
He pointed out that Usain Bolt didn’t just win gold medals, he shattered world records at the biggest championships (the World and the Olympics) during the same events. “I can’t think of any other world or Olympic champion that won the Olympics and broke the world record—world records—in the same championship. That’s what makes it so elusive, to be a Usain Bolt.” That kind of dominance, breaking records and winning gold simultaneously, is what sets Bolt apart as the GOAT.
Green further added that Noah Lyles is a top-level champion with multiple golds, but he hasn’t yet shown that same level of sheer dominance, especially in the 100m. Green is basically saying Noah is great and on his path, but he hasn’t matched Bolt’s extraordinary combination of speed, record-breaking performances, and back-to-back wins that define a true sprinting legend. “It could be a little misleading, saying, ‘Oh, he’s going to be on Bolt’s path.’ He’s definitely not on that path. He’s on his own path, which is a good path. Noah wants to be one of the greatest of all time… so we’re going to hold him to those standards. The benchmark would be Usain Bolt.” So, it’s not quite fair or accurate to compare Noah directly to Bolt just yet.
But Gatlin quickly clarified that when talking about the GOAT, it’s not about ranking athletes like a totem pole. Instead, he said, “You’ve got to think of a door opening up, and in this room are individuals who have done remarkable things in our sport.” Each athlete has achieved something unique that can’t be easily measured or compared. Gatlin pointed out that while champions like LaShawn Merritt and Jeremy Wariner have won Olympic and World golds, neither has broken iconic records like Michael Johnson’s legendary 200m mark.
We know Noah Lyles broke Michael Johnson’s longstanding American 200-meter sprint record at the World Athletics Championships in Oregon. Lyles clocked a time of 19.31 seconds, surpassing Johnson’s 26-year-old record of 19.32 seconds set during the 1996 Atlanta Olympics. “Noah Lyles broke Michael Johnson’s American record in the 200, and he’s won Olympic gold in the 100 which is not even his premier event and he went on to win World Championship three-peats,” Gatlin noted.
“Now, if he backs it up with a two, three-peat? Oh, 100%, you know what I mean.” he further added that, if he manages to continue that dominance with more consecutive titles, his status as the greatest of all time (GOAT) will be undeniable. However, if he doesn’t maintain that streak, his journey toward GOAT status feels more drawn out, with the next few years, especially 2027 and 2028, being crucial to see if he can secure enough gold medals to firmly cement his legacy.
Still, Gatlin is confident Noah is on the right track. “Do I think he’s on par? Yes, because he has shown dominance across almost every category you think about. Like, he has been the Diamond League number one from 2017 up till now.” This kind of sustained excellence, combined with record-breaking performances and championship titles, sets Noah Lyles on a clear path toward sprinting immortality. But is becoming a world champion again won’t be easy this year for Noah Lyles. Why?
Noah Lyles faces a crucial test before Tokyo 2025
Just before the Atlanta City Games, Noah Lyles hit his first real snag in six years: an injury that pulled him out of the 150m race. The 2025 World Championships in Tokyo are only four months away, and Noah was planning to compete for triple gold in the 100m, 200m, and 4x100m relay. Now, this injury? Makes it hard.
The training disruption and peak timing problems create additional uncertainty about his readiness for the most important competition. The US 4x100m relay team depends on him as their mainstay, so any subpar performance from him could endanger their chances at a gold medal.
Noah Lyles is up against some seriously fierce competition this year at the 2025 World Athletics Championships in Tokyo. Akani Simbine from South Africa has been a model of consistency, breaking records by running under 10 seconds in the 100m for 11 consecutive seasons, surpassing even Usain Bolt’s streak, and recently clocked a world-leading 9.90 seconds at the Botswana Grand Prix.
Jamaican sprinter Oblique Seville has been turning heads with a blazing 9.82 at the 2024 Racers Grand Prix, positioning himself as a real threat in both the 100m and 200m. Then there’s Kishane Thompson, another rising Jamaican star who nearly stole Noah’s thunder at the Paris Olympics. Noah narrowly edged Kishane in the 100m final by just five-thousandths of a second, both clocking an incredible 9.79 seconds. That razor-thin finish showed just how close the competition is.
Meanwhile, in the 200m final, Botswana’s Letsile Tebogo took gold with an African record-breaking 19.46 seconds, leaving Noah with bronze at 19.70 seconds. Tebogo, who also helped secure silver in the 4x400m relay and earned the World Athlete of the Year award, is a dominant force in the sprinting world.
With such high-caliber opponents peaking right now and some even having beaten or pushed Noah to his limits on the biggest stages, his injury recovery and form will be tested like never before. This season promises to be one of the toughest battles yet, as Noah fights not just to win medals but to maintain his sprinting crown amid a field of hungry and talented challengers.
The post Left Out of GOAT Debate, Noah Lyles Finds American Legend’s Support in Usain Bolt Comparison appeared first on EssentiallySports.
