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“There's no one to fight for you” - Justin Gatlin backs Noah Lyles as the Olympic champion bemoans the lack of unions in track and field
Noah Lyles recently bemoaned the lack of a union for track and field athletes. As the Olympic champion exposed the flaws of the sport, he received support from fellow Olympic gold-medalist Justin Gatlin.
Lyles has been consistently outspoken in his criticism about track and field. The reigning 100m World and Olympic champion has often highlighted the lack of structure in the sport. In a recent appearance on Funky Friday, he spoke to host Cam Newton about the lack of a union, pension, or retirement fund for track and field stars.
Reacting to Noah Lyles' statement, Justin Gatlin showed his support for the Olympic champion in an episode of his ‘Ready, Set, Go’ podcast, saying,
“That's the issue in our sport. Not having a union, not having a retirement fund. For all the work that you've done, the years that you've put in, whatever's in your pocket, that's what you want away with. And I don't care who you are as an athlete, that's what happens in our sport. You could win a hundred gold medals, but that's what happens in our sport. There's no one to fight for you and there's no one to wish you well and say ‘here’s a little severance package or here's a little pension in your pocket’. There's nothing like that in our sport.”
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Gatlin went on to add that he wanted future athletes to have security, saying,
“I love the progression of our sport and where it's going and having more money for these athletes, but let's give these athletes security. I'm glad that Noah touched on that.”
Noah Lyles set to compete at London Athletics Meet
After withdrawing from the Atlanta City Games due to an ankle injury, Noah Lyles is set to return to track in July at the London Athletics Meet. The competition is scheduled to take place on July 19, and will mark the American's first 100m outing of the year.
Lyles opened his 2025 season with a 400m race, his first time competing in the distance professionally. While the sprinter missed the podium by quite a bit, he was able to clock a personal best of 45.87. Up next, he ran the 60m at the New Balance Indoor Grand Prix, winning his third title at the event with a time of 6.52s.
Now, Noah Lyles will be running his first 100m race of the season in London. With the World Championships fast approaching, fans will be excited to see the times the Paris Olympics gold-medalist is able to deliver.
