Noah Lyles Explains What Track and Field is Missing to Captivate Audiences

Reigning 100m Olympic champion Noah Lyles argues that simply competing in the same events is not enough to create the compelling rivalries that captivate sports fans.

In a landscape where sports are increasingly driven by compelling narratives and larger-than-life personalities, track and field has yet to fully harness the power of storytelling, according to American sprint star Noah Lyles.

Speaking with Olympics.com, the reigning 100m world champion offered a sharp critique of how rivalries are perceived in athletics, moving beyond typical sports platitudes.

PAY ATTENTION: Follow us on Google News, Stay informed with Latest Sport News

"I think that if a rivalry is cared for correctly, then yes, it can be good," Noah Lyles stated. "But calling every competition between an athlete going up against another athlete a rivalry is not the same. There has to be a story. There has to be a purpose. There has to be intent."

The multiple-time world champion across the 100m and 200m events stressed that meaningful conflict is essential. "Just the fact that they happen to show up at the same track meet is not a rivalry," he emphasised.

Noah Lyles' perspective is born from a deep passion for his sport. He believes athletics should embrace narrative depth in the same way other sports have.

The legendary clashes between Ali and Frazier in boxing, the decade-long football debate over Messi versus Ronaldo, and the NBA's iconic LeBron versus Steph battles all transcended mere competition.

They became cultural sagas because they were built on a foundation of meaning, a quality Noah Lyles finds lacking in modern track and field.

"I’d say the Usain Bolt vs Justin Gatlin was probably the biggest, most memorable one [in track and field recently]," Lyles observed.

"For a little while, there was the Shaunae [Miller-Uibo] vs Allyson Felix rivalry… But even with those, they’re not really rivalries. They just happened to show up at the same track meets at the end of the year. I don’t think they got everything they could have got out of these. They could have been pushed so much more."

For Noah Lyles, strong storytelling is the key to elevating the stakes and fostering deeper fan engagement.

"When somebody has a dog in the fight, they’re more entertained and more willing to participate," he explained. "When you have no reason to cheer, you have no reason to care."

This view comes from one of the sport's most charismatic figures. Noah Lyles is a natural showman who has consistently used his dynamic entrances, vibrant celebrations, and outspoken personality to create a spectacle on the track.

While the sport itself has struggled to build narratives around its athletes, the American sprinter has never hesitated to create his own theatre.

He doesn't just enter a stadium; he arrives, energising the crowd with his screams and raw energy long before the starting gun fires.

However, he clarifies that his theatrics are not a form of psychological warfare aimed at unsettling opponents, but a performance for the fans.

"I do it for myself. This is for me and the audience," he said. "I want everybody to have a good time. I want everybody to be excited when they come and watch me perform."

"When they leave, I want them to say, ‘I would have never got that type of energy if I just watched it on TV.’ Like, that was amazing. I want to come back for more," he added.

Looking ahead, Noah Lyles hopes to bring that same electrifying energy to the LA 2028 Olympics. The prospect of competing in front of a home crowd, he admits, already gives him ‘goosebumps.’