U.S. sprinter Noah Lyles, one of the most famous modern track and field athletes, is not happy with the state of his sport.
The American sprinter, who won gold in the men's 200-meter final at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo on Friday, has consistently voiced his frustration with the sport’s dwindling public interest in non-Olympic years, advocating for a fundamental overhaul of track and field’s structure to elevate its standing.
"We’re an amateur sport,” Lyles said in an interview. He criticized the lack of a clear professional distinction in track, suggesting such a line could be established by governing bodies, specific meets, or a dedicated track and field league.
"Anybody is allowed to show up and take the Olympic trials. If somebody runs fast enough, they can do it,” he said. "Compare that to the NFL, where you have to be drafted to a team. You have to have an agent. There’s a firm line that says: ‘Hey, if you’re not on the other side of this line, you’re not a professional in this sport.’”
Earlier this year, four-time Olympic gold medalist Michael Johnson launched Grand Slam Track, a new league designed to address the very issues Lyles highlights: sustaining track’s popularity outside of Olympic cycles and providing athletes with a living wage.
Johnson reportedly secured $30 million in initial funding for four meets, promising $100,000 to each winner. However, the venture faltered after only three events, with the final slam canceled due to a lack of funding. Athletes who competed in the April and May events have since reported not yet receiving their promised payments.
Johnson had sought to recruit Lyles, recognizing him as the biggest male star in the sport. Lyles, however, initially declined to join, citing the league’s startup nature.
"It’s not that I want the table to be set, it’s that I want the table to be steady,” he explained.
Despite the setbacks of Grand Slam Track, Lyles remains a staunch believer in the league concept, going as far as to suggest he is the right person to lead such an initiative.
"I personally like to put on my own track and field league,” he declared, confident in his network and ability to assemble a formidable team.
Lyles — a natural showman — believes his insight lies in crafting a truly memorable audience experience, drawing inspiration from the immersive culture surrounding Formula One races.
"It’s the culture that is everything around it,” Lyles commented on the appeal of an F1 race, where many attendees engage in social activities rather than solely focusing on the race itself. He sees a similar potential for track.
"We’re going to all the same countries,” Lyles said. "Why not us?”
Meanwhile, Lyles says he is not sure if he will run in next year's inaugural Ultimate Championship in a potentially huge blow to World Athletics' new event, which is supposed to showcase the best of the best over three days in Budapest.
Fresh from securing his fourth successive world 200 meters title, the 28-year-old Lyles said a September return to Budapest, where he did the world championships sprint double in 2023, is far from guaranteed.
"Me and World Athletics are still in talks on whether I'll even go to Ultimate Championship," he said in an interview at Adidas' main office in Tokyo on Saturday.
"They've claimed that they want to get athletes more involved. We plan to have more talks in the future about that and what that could mean."
The Ultimate Championship has been introduced by the sport's governing body to fill the "void" in a non-global championship year, with two editions of the world championships and the Olympics filling three of every four.
It will have a prize fund of $10 million, with winners receiving $150,000 — by far the biggest prize available in the sport.
It will take place from Sept. 11-13 with no heats, just a high-octane succession of track and field finals featuring the world and Olympic champions and Diamond League winners.
However, the absence of the biggest name in the sport would be a huge setback. World Athletics did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Lyles was calm and relaxed on Saturday, his hair in neat braids in a far cry from the start line of the 200 final where, with his hair bleached and wild, he let out a huge, guttural roar with his arms raised as his name was read out.
"It's a battle cry. It's a moment where you go from having all the pieces to go beyond your limits," he explained.
"You have the crowd, you have the world championships, you have the racers and now you have the moment. It's powering up, it's knowing that you're about to push your body to the absolute point of no return."
It certainly did the trick as Lyles ran a superb race to overhaul compatriot Kenny Bednarek to win in 19.52 seconds.
It was agony for Bednarek, who settled for a fourth global silver, but the 26-year-old — like Justin Gatlin when operating in the shadow of Usain Bolt — will almost certainly have to clear Lyles from his mind if he is ever going to beat him.
Lyles, asked if his "aura" was affecting the way some rivals are running, perhaps dipping too early aware that he always finishes so strongly, said: "I'm sure it gets to some.
"But the funniest thing is that I'm actually a great starter in the 200 meters. I was looking at the data yesterday and I ran 10.11 on my first 100. That's the fastest bend I've ever had, even faster than when I broke the American record.
"So it's not that I'm not running fast bends, it's that others' strategy has been 'I have to beat him off the bend or I'll have no chance on the straight.'
"And knowing they have that strategy is what gives me peace of mind to say, 'OK, you're not going to be able to last.'"
Lyles is set to run in Sunday's 4x100m relay final, should his teammates get through Saturday's heats, when he will hope to add to his medal haul having also taken bronze in the 100.
Regardless of his 2026 plans, he has a mouth-watering schedule ahead with the 2027 world championships in Beijing and then a home Olympics in Los Angeles in 2028.
"Beijing, yeah, five in a row. I could be the first in the 200 to ever do that. That would be pretty amazing," said Lyles, whose four on the trot matched Bolt's record in the 200.
"And then preparing for LA, I think some really cool things are on the horizon."
With your current subscription plan you can comment on stories. However, before writing your first comment, please create a display name in the Profile section of your subscriber account page.