Noah Lyles has always carried the hunger to excel, chasing greatness on the track with unshakable belief. Yet, despite that fire, the sprint double continues to elude him. At the World Athletics Championships, he settled for bronze in the 100m and later took to X, writing: “I Got Nothing But The Joy of the Lord in my heart. It has been a very challenging year. Being able to give my all on the race that meant the most is all I can ask for.” Lyles seemed destined to etch his name among the greats in the 200m, which he did. Yet, the coveted list of sprinters who have conquered both arenas eludes him.

Noah Lyles owns the year’s best 200m time, a world title in the event, and even added a 100m medal with a seasonal best of 9.89s, ranking 14th globally. Yet, despite the accolades, he fell short of making the exclusive list of men with Top 10 marks in both sprints for 2025. In the end, Kenny Bednarek edged him out in that race for dual-event dominance. The coveted list includes four names. Kenny Bednarek set the pace in 2025 with a 9.79 PB in the 100m and a 19.58 silver in the 200m. Jamaica’s Bryan Levell followed closely, clocking 9.82 in the 100m and a 19.64 PB for bronze in the 200m.

Rising U.S. sprinter T’Mars McCallum clocked a 9.83 PB and 19.73 PB, while Courtney Lindsey matched the 9.82 in the 100m and added a 19.82 in the 200m. Since 2024, Noah Lyles has been on a mission to rule both sprints, winning 100m gold but settling for 200m bronze at the Paris Olympics. This year, however, the tables turned; an untimely injury derailed his double-dash dominance. The 200m world champion suffered from an inflamed tendon, which caused him to lose several weeks of training in April. This setback led him to start his outdoor season later than usual.

Lyles described this season as one of his toughest, pointing to a limited race schedule and the hurdles of injury. At last year’s World Championships in Budapest, he had soared to gold in both the 100m and 200m, yet this year’s challenges left him with bronze in the 100m. Reflecting on his approach, coach Lance Brauman said, “I train my athletes for the 100 meters and 200 meters,” highlighting the relentless mentality Lyles brings to every competition.

This year, Noah Lyles may have collected his medals, but when it comes to shattering personal, Kenny Bednarek and Jamaica’s Bryan Levell have stolen the spotlight. While this season may have humbled Lyles, it has only fueled his fire—he’s now gunning to surpass the greatest of all time: Usain Bolt.

Noah Lyles is looking to move past Usain Bolt’s record

Recently, when asked about the record-breaking performances by the newer generation, Usain Bolt had quite a rough assessment on them and it was quite a dig at Noah Lyles as well “They’re running faster and faster times [with the new shoes]. I’m just saying, ‘You can’t run faster with brand new spikes?’ We’re just way more talented men,” said Usain Bolt in his conversation with The Times. Bolt believes the newer generation might be faster, but their legacy won’t be as strong as that of the older generation, though Lyles would beg to differ.

While having a conversation with Speakeasy, Noah Lyles didn’t shy away from bold comparisons. When asked if he sees himself as a better 200m runner than Usain Bolt, he said, “I’d say I’m a more consistent runner. My consistency at running fast times is a lot higher. But at the same time, you’re saying as he got to the second half of his career, he didn’t run as many 200s or hundreds, you know.” Lyles stressed that at this point in his career, he’s logging more 200m races than Bolt ever did, highlighting his relentless drive and durability.

Well, that’s not all, he’s also eyeing Usain Bolt’s record time. In an interview with La Gazzetta Dello Sport, the 200m world champion said, “Next season will be a season without any major global events, without any major stress: it’s natural for me to look beyond that. But in reality, I have a more immediate goal. I still have to talk to Coach B (Lance Brauman) about it, but I’d like to create the right opportunity to go after Bolt’s 19.19 world record.”

With his eyes firmly set on Usain Bolt, the athlete aims to shatter records and forge an untouchable legacy—but can he truly overcome Bolt’s dominance? Only time will tell.