"We don't like that"-Noah Lyles opens up on winning 100m Olympic gold & being termed as the 'villain' after dominating the circuit in sprinting events

Noah Lyles opened up about being termed the villain after he started dominating the track circuit in the sprint events. The American athlete revealed that he faced a lot of hate on social media ever since he broke the American record in the 200m. Moreover, his personality on the track ahead of his race made people call him boastful.

Lyles primarily began competing in the professional track circuit in the men's 200m. However, to achieve his goal of winning three Olympic Gold medals, he began transitioning into the 100m since the 2023 World Athletics Championships. The American athlete revealed how he has faced hate since he started winning multiple races and emerged as one of the fastest sprinters of the current generation.

Noah Lyles made an appearance on Letsrun.com's podcast and spoke about a variety of topics. When asked about being portrayed as a villain in the track world after the Netflix documentary series, 'Sprint', he said:

“Yeah, I noticed it after 2022. I knew this day was always going to come just because once you start winning too much, they want a new face. And in 2022, that became Erriyon. And then I beat Erriyon. And then after that, it was, you know, Letsile. And then, you know, after that, I said, you know, I don't want the 200 meter, I want the 100."

“So now I'm coming after everybody else's title, and they're like, well, you're not a 100 meter runner, like, why are you disrespecting the 100 by trying to show up? And then I win, and they're like, yeah, we don't like that. “And of course, the people are just like, well, you're just, you know, you cocky and boastful. And I'm like, but I'm doing it. I'm not saying anything I'm not doing,” he added.

Noah Lyles on receiving hate on social media

Noah Lyles at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games - Day 10 - Athletics - Source: Getty

Noah Lyles took to X to reflect on receiving hate on social media after the Paris Olympics. The American athlete expressed that he does not pay attention to the negativity on social media but rather chooses to look at the positive aspects, such as inspiring many young athletes to achieve their track dreams.

It’s ok, the thoughts of twitter do not reflect the thoughts of the world. In person I have been blessed to have people come up to me and tell me how much I have inspired them and others.

Lyles cut short his Paris Olympics campaign after finishing third in the men's 200m and withdrawing from the 4x100m relay as he tested positive for COVID-19,