“I wish Noah Lyles was in my era” - When Usain Bolt reflected on wanting to go head-to-head against the American sprinter

Usain Bolt once expressed his desire to race against Noah Lyles, wishing the American had competed in his era. He believed it would have been an exciting matchup if they went head-to-head.

Bolt, the world record holder in the 100m, 200m, and 4x100m relay, has remained one of the biggest names in the sport even after his retirement in 2017. Meanwhile, Lyles has achieved fame in the 100m and 200m events over the years, following becoming a six-time world champion and claiming the Olympic 100m title at the Paris Olympics.

Even before Lyles' Paris Olympics exploits, Usain Bolt spoke about him on The Obi One Podcast released in July 2024. He admitted that he sometimes missed competing but dismissed the thought when reminded of the intense training. He said (45:20 onwards):

“At times when I watch track and field, I do miss it. I'm like, ‘Wow’ but then you think about training. You're like, ‘Whatever’”

He added:

“I love competition, you know what I mean and even now I see Noah Lyles running, I'm like, ‘I wish he was in my era’. Be cool.”

During the interaction, the eight-time Olympic gold medalist shared how he enjoyed racing against the best in the world. He also commented on how many of his rivals like Asafa Powell, Tyson Gay, and Yohan Blake were injured at times, which made the competition less exciting for him.

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Usain Bolt opens up on earlier challenges that he faced during his life

Usain Bolt at IAAF World Athletics Championships Beijing 2015 (Photo by Ian Walton/Getty Images)

Usain Bolt once reflected on the challenges he faced at the start of his professional career. The Jamaican didn't have an ideal beginning early on as it took him a few years to rise to popularity through his performance on the international stage.

In a World Athletics interview released in December 2023, he spoke about the setbacks he faced and the doubts people expressed about him during that period, stating (0:21 onwards):

“Rough. It wasn't smooth. I went professional like I was when I was 17 and it took me like three, four years to really get to where I wanted to be and it was just because of injuries and a lot of people were saying, ‘All this is did for him’, ‘Is washed up, and ‘He's not going to make it as a professional’. And so it kind of got me side and down at times.”

Bolt went on to share how his coach, Glen Mills, asked him to participate in the 400m after he finished second to Tyson Gay in the 200m final at the 2007 World Athletics Championships.

Although Mills wanted him to focus on the full-lap event, Bolt negotiated a deal to compete in the 100m instead. He proposed that if he posted a strong time in the 100m race, he would be allowed to focus on that event rather than the 400m.