"I don't like how he gets on the track": British 100m record holder Zharnel Hughes weighs in on rivalry with Noah Lyles

Four-time European Championships gold medalist Zharnel Hughes recently opened up on his rivalry with the current 100m Olympic champion, Noah Lyles. This comes just a few months after the Brit's successful 2024 Paris Olympics campaign, during which he clinched his first-ever Olympic medal.

Lyles and Hughes have been participants in numerous battles in recent years with the 100m final at the 2023 World Athletics Championships in Budapest being the most profound contest between the two. Lyles clinched the gold medal during the race and Hughes had to settle for a bronze.

In the 2024 season too, Lyles got the better of his British counterpart with two victories over him at the London Diamond League meet and the Racers Grand Prix in Kingston.

Speaking about this rivalry during a recent conversation with Sky Sports on October 8, Zharnel Hughes revealed that he doesn't hate his American counterpart but doesn't appreciate Lyles' behavior on the track. He said (via Sky Sports):

"At the end of the day, we are serious competitors. But it's not like we hate each other or anything. I personally don't dislike him (Noah Lyles). I don't like his ways in regards to how he gets on the track. "

Hughes further lauded the 27-year-old's confidence and added:

"But I guess that's the way he gives himself confidence and stuff. But overall, I don't have any issue with Noah Lyles. I don't have anything against him."

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Zharnel Hughes clinched a bronze medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics

Hughes during the Men's 4x100m relay finals at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris (image via Getty)

Competing in the second Olympics of his career, Zharnel Hughes clinched a bronze medal in the Men's 4x100m relay event at the French capital. Great Britain registered a season-best run time of 37.61 seconds to finish third in the event.

During the relay, Hughes ran the anchor leg behind Jeremiah Azu, Louie Hinchlifee, and Nethaneel Mitchell-Blake and registered an individual run time of 8.78 seconds to take his side home past the finishing line.

Hughes' teammate Hinchliffe also clocked an impressive run time of 9.03 seconds during his second lap to help his side edge past Italy, who eventually finished in the fourth position with a run time of 37.68 seconds.

Besides the 4x100m relay event, Zharnel Hughes also competed in the 100m and 200m events at the quadrennial event but failed to clinch a medal. Hughes failed to reach the finals in the 100m event after finishing sixth during his semifinal race, while in the 200m, the 29-year-old had to withdraw from the event due to a hamstring injury.