Who has done more for track and field, Noah Lyles or Usain Bolt? On the track, the numbers point firmly toward Bolt. The Jamaican won eight Olympic gold medals and set world records in both the 100m and 200m, while Lyles has eight world titles and three Olympic medals. But a recent debate on X has put their impact on the sport itself under the microscope.

Former track and field athlete Erin Brown believes Lyles has the edge in that conversation. On August 31, Brown shared a post comparing the two sprint stars, alongside a picture of Bolt and Lyles together, and made a striking claim.

“Pains me to admit it but, Noah Lyles has done 10x more FOR TRACK than Usain Bolt ever has,” the post on X read.

The statement quickly caught the attention of track and field fans, with many questioning how Lyles could be placed ahead of Bolt when it comes to influence on the sport.

One fan responded, “You need psychiatric evaluation.” Brown did not back down, replying, “Nah I’m good.”

Another fan tried to separate Lyles’ influence from Bolt’s achievements, arguing that while Lyles may be “far ahead” in terms of marketing, he remains “still a long way off” when it comes to sporting achievements.

But that distinction did not sit well with Brown. “Sporting achievement has nothing to do with furthering the sport,” Brown responded.

Much of the pushback came from fans who felt Brown was overlooking what Bolt brought to track and field beyond his medal haul. The Jamaican became a global sporting icon, with his presence alone capable of turning a track meet into a major attraction. At the 2011 Golden Gala in Rome, for instance, 47,732 spectators attended, with World Athletics crediting Bolt’s presence, along with the meeting’s marketing, for helping drive the huge turnout.

For many fans, Bolt’s impact was also evident in the way he brought new eyes to athletics. His Olympic dominance, world records and larger-than-life personality made sprinting a must-watch event even for casual sports viewers. One fan pointed directly to that legacy, writing, “Someone who basically did the triple triple at the Olympics and you’re saying Lyles did 10x more lol.”

The fan continued, “The level of excitement that Bolt brought to every meet is unmatched. People loved watching him compete whether it was a small meet or Olympic final. That’s influence.”

Brown, however, remained unconvinced that popularity and competitive success alone amounted to furthering the sport. “None of that has to do with doing for nor furthering the sport btw,” Brown wrote. He doubled down on the argument, suggesting that track and field did not see enough progress in the areas that mattered after Bolt stepped away.

That prompted another fan to challenge the point, asking, “How did you come to that conclusion. I don’t think anyone in the history of track has been able to pull more people to a meet than @usainbolt.” Brown then brought another legendary name into the discussion. “Carl Lewis was definitely pulling more people to meets what are we even saying?” he wrote. “But that has nothing to do with DOING FOR THE SPORT and furthering it.”

Lewis was one of athletics’ biggest stars throughout the 1980s and 1990s, when the sport had yet to develop the year-round mainstream presence it enjoys around major championships today. His popularity still made him a major draw at meets, with 13,287 spectators turning up to watch him compete at Franklin Field in 1981. For Brown, however, drawing a crowd and furthering the sport are two different things.

Brown’s point was never that Lyles has achieved more than Bolt. Instead, he believes Lyles has been more willing to push for changes that could shape the future of track and field. When a fan argued that Bolt had done more to further the sport, Brown challenged the idea, asking what Bolt had actually done beyond his performances. He explained his stance, saying, “He furthered it how? Yall keep talking about what he’s won etc, winning medals isn’t doing for the sport that doing for yourself as an individual.”

The former NCAA runner then pointed to Lyles’ willingness to challenge World Athletics and speak openly about issues surrounding the sport. Like in 2023, Lyles said track and field was “not marketed the right way” and argued that the sport needed to do a better job selling its athletes and their stories. He also told World Athletics president Sebastian Coe that the sport needed more professionalism.

Brown also highlighted Lyles’ efforts to encourage athletes to build their own brands and take greater control of their public profiles. That is where the former NCAA runner believes the difference lies. For him, winning championships is an individual achievement, while pushing athletes to have a greater say in how the sport is marketed and presented can benefit track and field as a whole. But Bolt’s influence on the sport went far beyond what he achieved on the track.

Usain Bolt made track a global attraction; Lyles wants to change its business

Bolt’s sporting record is inseparable from his impact on track and field. His world records of 9.58 seconds in the 100m and 19.19 seconds in the 200m still stand. His 4x100m world record of 36.84 seconds also remains on the books. Yet Bolt’s influence went well beyond the medals and records.

He made people who did not regularly follow athletics want to watch a sprint. That popularity led to unprecedented high-profile brand deals. In 2010, Puma renewed its partnership with Bolt and described the agreement as the largest sponsorship deal ever given to a track and field athlete at the time, although the financial terms were not disclosed.

By 2016, Forbes estimated that Bolt earned around $33 million in one year, making him the only track and field athlete among the world’s 100 highest-paid athletes. Forbes also estimated that he earned roughly 10 times more than any other track athlete that year.

Lyles has not matched Bolt’s global fame or sporting résumé, but he has been far more outspoken about the business of track and field and what he believes needs to change. In 2023, Lyles argued that the “business is dying”, and later clarified that he was talking about the business side of professional track rather than the sport itself. His criticism was directed at a weak professional structure, limited financial opportunities and the marketing of athletes.

He has also pushed for a more organized structure around elite track, drawing comparisons to motorsport and arguing that athletes need a more predictable professional career, with greater opportunities to compete and earn from their performances. For Lyles, the issue goes beyond prize money. He wants a system that gives track’s biggest stars more room to build careers and personalities around the sport.

That vision has also shaped how Lyles wants athletes to present themselves. He has advocated for track stars to become recognizable personalities rather than simply names on a results sheet, even proposing pre-race “walk-ins” inspired by the tunnel entrances that have become a staple of NBA culture.

Lyles has questioned why track athletes rarely get the same commercial opportunities as stars from bigger professional sports. After winning the Olympic 100m title in Paris, he spoke about wanting his own signature shoe.

“I want my own shoe. There ain’t no money in spikes, there’s money in sneakers,” he said.

His argument was that becoming a world champion does not necessarily give track athletes the same path to building a consumer brand as athletes in basketball, football or other major sports. That landscape has, however, started to change. At the Paris 2024 Olympics, World Athletics awarded $50,000 to each athletics gold medalist, marking the first time the governing body had directly paid Olympic athletes.

Lyles has drawn attention to the gap between the value track athletes create and what they earn from it. That is ultimately where the comparison between the two sprinters becomes more nuanced. Bolt showed the world just how big track and field could become when its biggest star captured the public imagination. Lyles, meanwhile, is pushing for a system that can give the sport’s athletes greater visibility, commercial value and control over their careers. Without Bolt’s trailblazing impact, however, track and field may never have reached the global popularity it enjoys today, while Lyles is now trying to build on that foundation in his own way.