ClutchPoints
The Olympics command global attention every four years, but track and field often struggles to maintain relevance between Games. Noah Lyles, the reigning 2024 Olympic gold medalist, is on a mission to change that narrative. His latest strategy? Racing Miami Dolphins receiver Tyreek Hill in a showdown that could bring fresh eyes to the sport, per NBCNews.
Lyles recognizes that track enjoys prestige on the Olympic stage but fails to translate that into year-round marketability in the U.S. “Track and field has a great reputation inside of the Olympics, but in the marketing sense, when it comes to the U.S., it’s just fallen short a few too many times,” Lyles told NBC News. By competing against Hill—an NFL superstar with mainstream appeal—Lyles aims to bridge the gap between track and the general public.
Beyond growing the sport, Lyles has a personal stake in the race. “I want to be more than just a runner because there’s enough runners,” he said. “But who’s the performers?” In his mind, an electrifying matchup against a household name like Hill is a way to prove that track stars can be showmen as well as elite athletes.
The rivalry began when Hill dismissed Lyles’s past comments about Super Bowl champions calling themselves “world champions.” In a conversation with Kay Adams, Hill took a direct shot at Lyles. “Noah Lyles can’t say nothing after what just happened to him,” Hill said, referring to Lyles withdrawing from a previous race due to illness. “Then he wants to come out and pretend he’s sick, I feel like that’s horseradish. … I would beat Noah Lyles.”
Despite criticism that racing Hill is beneath him, Lyles remains undeterred. “I get a lot of hate from people who don’t believe that I should be racing him,” he said. “Well, apparently it’s not, because here we are.”
The details of the race, including the official distance, remain unclear, but Lyles is treating the challenge as more than just a spectacle. “I’m dead serious about this,” he said. “I’m going to bring everything I got for this.” He even envisions breaking records in the process. “Tyreek better be ready, because if a world record gets dropped on his head, he ain’t gonna be able to hear nothing.”
Whether this race turns into a viral moment or a historic track event, Lyles is betting it will get people talking. And for track and field, that might be the biggest win of all.
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