Noah Lyles just can’t stand losing, and everyone saw it when he handed the belt to the 21-year-old former college football wide receiver, Jordan Anthony. At the 2026 USA Track & Field Indoor Championships in New York, Lyles finished third in the men’s 60 meters final, falling just behind Anthony and veteran sprinter Trayvon Bromell. But instead of sulking, Lyles turned the moment into something playful and hilarious.

The real highlight came after the race. After losing, as a gesture of passing on the title, Noah Lyles handed the ‘championship belt’ to his PURE Athletics group training partner, Anthony. But he didn’t stop there.

In a viral post-meet moment, he joked with Anthony: “Look man, you’re just babysitting the belt for me. Make sure you pause it at night. It likes to have a bedtime story at 8 p.m everynight. And then when we get to outdoors with the big boys, you know make sure it comes back for us. Make sure you get a passport… you know what? I’m gonna go back in my bag.”

Outside the track, Noah Lyles and Anthony are training partners near Orlando, which made the banter even more fun to watch. But what’s so special about this belt?

Well, the PURE Athletics championship belt is a traveling award within the PURE Athletics elite track group, symbolizing the fastest athlete. It was created to promote internal competition in Lance Brauman’s training group. And recently, it was passed from Lyles to Anthony since he defeated Lyles at the US Indoors.

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On March 1, Anthony ran 6.45 seconds to claim the national indoor title, with Bromell finishing in 6.47 seconds, and Lyles crossing third in 6.51 seconds. The outcome surprised some fans, given that Lyles is the reigning Olympic 100 m gold medalist.

However, Anthony, the 2025 NCAA 60 m and 100 m champion, claimed his first national title as a pro.

Anthony first played as a wide receiver at Kentucky (2022), Texas A&M (2023), and Arkansas (2024), totaling 11 receptions for 125 yards and one touchdown in 18 games.

Talking about his transition from that star NFL career, Anthony shared in early February after the 2026 Millrose Games, “I’m just starting at a new stage, new circle. So, I’m back at the bottom. Like usual. I build my way up. It’s that important to know the quality traits and when to start my workout, when not to start it… So, there’s really nothing different.”

Now, this race was also a qualifier for the World Indoor Championships in Poland from March 20-22. While Jordan is eligible to compete there, Lyles had already confirmed that he wouldn’t compete because it’s too close to his early April wedding with Jamaican sprinter Junelle Bromfield.

Noah Lyles has spoken highly of Anthony, too.

“I have no doubt in Jordan. I watched him at the beginning of the year, and I was like, ‘Well, I’m not going to (World Indoors), so I guess he’s winning.’”

Noah Lyles last won the men’s 60 m indoor title in 2024, beating Christian Coleman with the same 6.43 seconds. That was his most recent US 60 m indoor championship before Anthony took over in 2026.

But this has also sparked doubts about Noah Lyles’ form.

Early stumbles put Noah Lyles’ 2026 on the spot

It seems 2026 hasn’t been the kindest year for Noah Lyles so far, and this race marked his second loss of the season.

The Olympic and World Champion opened his indoor campaign at the New Balance Indoor Grand Prix in Boston, running the 300 m. He was expected to challenge for the win, but in a close finish, he was narrowly beaten by Jereem Richards, crossing the line in 32.15 seconds, just behind Richards’ 32.14.

But then on February 13, at the Tyson Invitational at the Randal Tyson Track Center, Lyles ran the indoor 200 m, marking his first indoor 200 m in five years.

He put on a strong performance and set a lifetime indoor best of 20.56 seconds, beating Cheickna Traore of the Ivory Coast (20.63 s). This was his first indoor 200 m race since 2021 and also his first win of the 2026 season.

And now in his third race of the season, Noah Lyles finished behind Jordan Anthony at the 2026 USA Track & Field Indoor Championships. Even with his decorated history, this result raised questions about his current form.

One fan commented, “Noah is annoying,” while another added, “Just bragging he is a loser.”

This frustration is understandable, considering what Lyles has achieved so far.

He won gold in the 100 m at the 2024 Paris Olympics, one of the biggest wins of his career, and bronze in the 200 m at the same Games. He also claimed four consecutive 200 m world titles, tying Usain Bolt’s record for the most consecutive 200 m world championships. In addition, he earned bronze in the 100 m at the 2025 World Championships.

Given all that, even with a tough start to 2026, hope is still very much alive for Lyles.