"I haven't put myself on that yet"- Noah Lyles names the four sprinters that would make it to his Mount Rushmore ft Jesse Owens

Noah Lyles is one of track and field's biggest personalities at the moment, but the American isn't naming himself as one of the world's best just yet. According to Lyles, he has a few feats to achieve before he can put himself up there with his idols.

Over the years, the 26-year-old has built up an impressive resume of achievements. He has won six World Championships and is the first person since Usain Bolt to complete a sprint treble at the World Championship after he walked away with the gold in the 100m, 200m, and 4x100m in Budapest last year.

Recently, Lyles made an appearance at USATF’s Journey to Gold Zone podcast, alongside hosts Eric Canard and Wallace Spearmon Jr, and spoke about a multitude of things, including whom he considers the best sprinter of all time.

At a certain point in the conversation, Canard asked the American how he keeps himself motivated, and Noah Lyles revealed that he knows he still has work to do since he can't name himself as one of the world's best athletes just yet.

“We were having the Mount Rushmore conversation in my group a few weeks ago and personally I haven't put myself on that Mount Rushmore yet and if I'm saying that that means that I know the job's not done,” he said (at 9:48).

The host then went on to ask the four sprinters that Lyles would put on his Mount Rushmore.

“Personally it's going to go, this is the sprints only, this is 400m down, I'm putting Michael Johnson on it, I'm putting Usain Bolt on it, I'm gonna put Carl Lewis on it.”

As Canard chimed in to ask if Lyles himself makes the cut for fourth, the sprinter replied,

“No. I don't believe it's myself yet. Not yet, not yet. I don't believe it's myself to be honest, we'll probably have to give it to Jesse Owens.”

Noah Lyles names female Mount Rushmore

Once Noah Lyles got done naming his Mount Rushmore, co-host of the USATF Journey to Gold Zone podcast, Wallace Spearmon Jr. asked the sprinter what his female Mount Rushmore would look like.

Thinking on it, Lyles was quick to name Jamaica's Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce and Elaine Thompson-Herrah to his list, saying (at 10:34),

“The Jamaican dominance that's happening right now I don't want it to cloud my judgment but it's so dominant. I feel that Shel (Shelly-Ann Fraser Pryce) has done a great job of doing back to back 10.6, back to back World Championships, two Olympic gold medals in the hundred and Elaine (Thompson-Herrah) has done the same so I think I'm might have to put Elaine on there as well.”

He then went on to add Florence Griffith Joyner, world record holder in the 100 and 200m, to his list,

“I'mma have to put Flo-Jo on there for sure.”

Noah Lyles struggled to pick a fourth sprinter, before saying that Shericka Jackson would make the cut if she stood atop the podium for the 200m at the Paris Olympics this summer.

“I want to put (Allyson) Felix on there but she only has one gold medal and she doesn't have a world record. I'll tell you what, if Shericka (Jackson) wins a gold in the 200m this year at the Olympics, she would be on my Mount Rushmore.”

This August in Paris, Noah Lyles will have the opportunity to make it to his own Mount Rushmore. The American has made a bold claim announcing that he intends to target four gold medals at the Games, one each in the 100m, 200m, 4x100, and 4x400m. If he lives up to his word, Lyles would be the first and only person to have achieved this feat.