Is Noah Lyles trying to spike a track and field teammate’s rightful spot on the U.S. men’s 4×400–meter relay team at the Paris Olympics?
Lyles, the highly touted world champion who’s a gold medal hopeful in the 100, 200 and 4×100 relay for the U.S. in the Summer Games, told Track World News last week that he also wanted to run in the 4×400 relay, saying, “I am available.”
And he said he knows just the guy to omit from the team to make room for him ― Quincy Hall, who has run a world-season second-best 43.80 seconds in the 400.
“The only reason I wouldn’t use the current U.S. champion is because I just don’t think he would be a starter,” Lyles said, not mentioning Hall by name. “I feel like using him on the first leg would just be almost like a waste to his talent.”
“I just don’t see him getting his full capability out of the first leg,” Lyles added.
Talk about a backhanded compliment.
Hall challenged Lyles, whose official career best in the 400 is 47.04 seconds from 2016, to a race.
“I don’t bother nobody but my blocks ready anytime you feel like you can beat me in the 400,” Hall wrote on social media on July 19. “I don’t do the little slick comments.”
Hall also pushed back at Lyles in a video shared on social media.
“You want my spot? Then let’s do something about it,” he said, adding, “He’s Noah Lyles. He don’t care what I’m probably saying.”
Let the mind games begin.
