Olympic medalist and six-time World Championships winner Noah Lyles isn’t just a track and field phenom. The 26-year-old loves a bit of flair and with the Olympics only months away, he’s leaving no stone unturned for his maiden gold on the big stage. While Lyles continues to make his intentions for the Paris Games abundantly clear, his on-track antics aren’t always the most charming for many of his colleagues.

The 2024 World Indoor Championships 800m gold medalist Bryce Hoppel has his own plans for the upcoming rumble in the French capital. Alongside, the two-time NCAA champion also has his views about what Noah Lyles is trying to achieve with his groovy steps.

Noah Lyles’ moves go amiss for Hoppel

In a recent interview with Citius Mag, Hoopel talked about how he viewed the current state of things in the 800m event. During the session, the topic of Hoppel’s conservative nature when it comes to celebrating his victories also came up. While Bryce isn’t known for his explosive display of emotions after winning races, any of his colleagues, including Noah Lyles, take a different route, but Hoppel didn’t seem to place the emotional outbursts on a high pedestal.

When asked how he views Lyles’ extensive efforts to market the sport, Hoppel stated that athletes should properly comprehend what such responsibilities can entail. While Bryce accepted the fact that runners should come forward with attempts to popularize track and field more, he also noted that it shouldn’t turn the attention from the core aspects. “…if you are not ready for it and can’t handle it then you don’t want it to take away from the competing side“, said Hoppel. However, going as far as dancing like Noah isn’t something he sees himself doing.

“…like I am not an awkward guy, but I am not going to be dancing out there“, emphasized Bryce, after also claiming that he should bring something unique to the game to establish himself as someone worth following. Notably, Hoppel has already established himself as a force to reckon with in both the indoor and outdoor versions of the 800m format.

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The world champ credits his coach for dual success

Hoppel openly says, “I do enjoy indoor a lot.” But that does take the flair away from his outdoor ventures. Hoppel made a record at the World Outdoor Final 2023 with a victory of 1:44.92, which is the world’s best time in three years. He also bagged the title at this year’s World Indoor Championship 800-metre and he is the third American track and field athlete to achieve it. In 2022 and 2023, Bryce clinched gold in both the national indoor and outdoor championships. He said the credit for his success in both formats should be attributed to his coach Michael Whittlesey.

Read more: Noah Lyles’ Coach Shrugs Off Olympics’ Difficulty, Dubs Another Event “Hardest Meet in the World”

“My coach’s mindset is definitely to let me run indoors, but to keep training“, revealed Bryce, noting that’s what keeps him able-bodied for both outdoors and indoors. He also mentioned that sticking too long in college programs can become a major obstacle that athletes may have trouble meandering around later in their professional careers.

Along with that, Hoppel also raised the concern about how the 800m events look to be progressing at a much slower rate than other races. While he refrained from going into the details of the things that may hinder the development, his hints weren’t too subtle to go unnoticed, either. As Lyles continues to make bold statements about the upcoming Olympics, what will you be looking forward to the most in Paris? Tell us below!