Day 55 - The Olympic Torch Continues Its Journey Around The UK - Source: Getty — Michael Johnson gives his take on fastest man or woman on the planet [Image Source: Getty]

"In reality it is an opinion"- Michael Johnson weighs in on the debate of the 'fastest man or woman in the world"

Modified Jul 28, 2024 06:09 GMT

Former world record holder and Olympic champion Michael Johnson joined the ongoing debate over the fastest man/ woman in the world, and put forward his opinion, which soon went viral over the social media. A couple of days ago, several athletes and American news publications regarded Noah Lyles as the fastest man alive.

However, this misinformation wasn't accepted by the masses, who called out Noah Lyles for not clarifying on the rumors. The 27-year-old had to ultimately issue a clarification, saying that he didn't intend to disregard the past records in anyway.

It was in this context that Michael Johnson recently gave his take on an individual being called the fastest man/woman in the world. The former world-record holder said that the title was an opinion in reality.

" 'Fastest Man or Woman in the World' sounds like a title, but in reality it is an opinion," the 56-year-old wrote on X.

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Johnson further posted on his X account that the competition for Noah Lyles and his American compatriots was far from a cakewalk.

"These 3 are better than the 3 who... at the 2022 World Champs! BUT.....the global competition is also better," he said.

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Michael Johnson on Noah Lyles' chances at Paris 2024

Michael Johnson [Extreme Left] at a conference for the Laureus Sports Awards 2024 [Image Source: Getty]

Michael Johnson may be cautiously optimistic over his statements on the chances of the American track and field team at Paris Olympics 2024. However, he has no hesitation in expressing his admiration for the efforts of promising athletes like Noah Lyles and Sha'Carri Richardson, who are representing USA in Men's 100m and Women's 200m respectively, as well as the young sprinter Quincy Hall.

Michael Johnson mentioned about the standout qualities of Noah Lyles a couple of months ago in an interview with NBC. Michael Johnson stated,

"The thing about Noah is he's a great personality, but that's on top of the fact that he's just a phenomenal athlete. What makes him special that he's just incredibly fast. 200 meters and 100 meters, he's very confident in his ability."

Michael Johnson also praised Sha'Carri Richardson for her honest approach towards the sport. However, when Quincy Hall broke his own Under-18 world record for the 3rd time, he couldn't help himself but express admiration for his tenacity. To quote Johnson's tweet,

"Okay, I haven't commented on this kid. Because it typically leads to predictions of his future, and people don't understand it's more complex than simply "so fast so young=really fast older" it's not that simple. But now I must speak. GOD DAMN!! This kid is impressive!" [via @MJGold]

The track and field competitions at Paris Olympics will commence on August 1 and will continue till August 11, the final day of the Paris Olympics 2024. Michael Johnson is hopeful that the U.S. Olympic track and field team will exceed his expectations and pack a punch at Stade de France.