"Not if we keep doing the same thing since the 70s" - Noah Lyles on track and field being as popular as NFL and NBA
100m and 200m world champion Noah Lyles recently shared his views on track and field reaching the same popularity level as the NBA and NFL. The 26-year-old has always been vocal about how his sport can improve and reach a larger audience around the world.
Lyles rose to fame after winning three gold medals at the 2023 World Athletics Championships. His victory at three different events - 100m, 200m, and 4x100m relay race, made him the new triple-threat athlete after legend Usain Bolt in 2015.
Using his fame after the world championships, Lyles drew the sports world’s attention towards the mediocre popularity of track and field in comparison to other sports like the NFL and NBA. The athlete has vocally shared his views on several occasions that many athletes in his sports do not get the recognition they deserve. It affects an athlete’s opportunities and hampers the sport’s popularity.
Recently, in a Q&A session on his Instagram, a fan asked Lyles if track and field could ever flourish like the NBA and NFL. To this, the 2020 Tokyo Olympics bronze medalist answered:
“No if we keep doing the same thing since the 70s expecting a different result.”
Lyles believes that regulating bodies responsible for hosting track and field events are not marketing the sport, effectively. Months back, in another Q&A he shared that more influencers could help in creating awareness about the sport and its athletes.
Noah Lyles on athletes respecting each other
During an interview with Olympics.com in August, Noah Lyles shared the changes that track and field needed for today’s athletes to increase their popularity. He focused on athletes respecting each other.
Lyles explained that track and field athletes do not interact amongst themselves. He emphasized athletes being friendlier and more united together to popularize their sport.
He compared the phenomenon with other fields, saying:
“You look at musicians, they start having clothing brands and they start throwing fashion shows and they start hanging out with other artists.”
Noah Lyles stated that not just the athletes of today but many legendary players from the past also do not interact with each other. He concluded his explanation by saying:
“How can we get to this higher level that we all want to talk about and we aren’t even doing what’s needed to show that we respect each other?”