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"Easiest $100,000 Noah Lyles ever got"- Justin Gatlin weighs in on race with IShowSpeed and explains how it was a win for track and field
Justin Gatlin spoke about the recent showdown between Noah Lyles and popular streamer IShowSpeed. The two went head-to-head in a 50m race organized by YouTuber MrBeast, with $100,000. Lyles won the race however, IShowSpeed received great praise from fans worldwide for his incredible effort in the race against the Olympic gold medalist.
Former Olympic Champion Justin Gatlin expressed his opinion on the race which went viral on the internet. He revealed how the race played a huge role in pushing track and field to a wider audience and it was a 'win-win' situation for the sport. Moreover, he highlighted the fact how underpaid track athletes are and revealed that it was probably the easiest $100,000 won by Noah Lyles in a race.
Track and Field has always been under scrutiny for the amounts athletes earn, with Olympic gold medalists earning $37,500 from the U.S Olympic & Paralympic committee and an additional bonus of $50,000 from World Athletics. The paychecks that track athletes receieve from their races is often compared to the multi-million dollar contracts of NBA and NFL players by fans on social media.
Speaking about how the race with IShowSpeed challenge was a 'win-win' situation for Noah Lyles and track, Justin Gatlin said:
" At the end of the day, this was a win for track and field, this was a win for Noah Lyles. Why? Like you said, it was a charity run for one. He got half of the charity. He got a $100k. Probably the easisest $100k he ever got which is,' Oh, I only got to race you for a 50m. I don't even have to show you my true speed to beat you and I come home with six figures, more than what I would in any race in season prime ready to run the fastest that I could.'"
"That was a win and the people he raced against, speedy has millions of followers. Same thing with the referee Mr Beast, millions of followers. So now, not only does he still secure the title of the fastest man in the world but also the fact that he has also gained the traction in a whole another place," he added.
Justin Gatlin on Noah Lyles' rising popularity
Justin Gatlin spoke about Lyles' rising popularity after his banter with Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill post the Paris Olympics. The two athletes have been going back and forth in the media raising anticipation among fans to witness a head to head battle.
Gatlin revealed how Lyles' personality has elevated his social presence while also bringing a lot more traction to track and field.
"You look at athletes who are in our game right now who have elevated their social media platforms and they have millions of followers now. Look at what Noah has right? It's a fact of a lot of those people who are there, trust me bro, they don't even know Noah's personal time in the 200," he said.
"They follow him because of his personality, they're waiting what he will say next. More people know what he said to the NBA and to Tyreek then they know his PR," he added.
Furthermore, Gatlin expressed how this would help in promoting track to a major audience when there are no major events like the Olympic Games or the World Championships.
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