Olympic champion Noah Lyles is left scratching his head as he fails to make male track athlete of the year
Olympic champion Noah Lyles is left scratching his head as he fails to sprint his way into the finals for the male track athlete of the year. World Athletics dropped the news bomb on Monday, and it seems like Lyles’ victory lap has hit a pothole.
Lyles won the Athlete of the Year award in 2023, but it looks like someone else will take the throne this year.
Lyles, who clinched gold medal against Jamaican Kishane Thompson in one of Olympic history’s nail-biting 100m finals—winning by a margin so slim it could have been a photo finish in a game of Who Can Hold Their Breath the Longest—was just bested by two other speedy gents: Letsile Tebogo, the 200m Olympic champ from Namibia, and Norway’s Jakob Ingebrigtsen, who were chosen to be the two finalists for male track athlete of the year.
Lyles was aiming to snag an Olympic sprint double, but instead, he tripped over his own ambitions and landed with a bronze in the 200m, firmly behind the aforementioned speedsters. Oh, and in his effort to dash for gold, he revealed he was running under the weather—literally! Running after testing positive for Covid-19 is just the plot twist we didn’t see coming.
On the bright side, the winner of the women’s 100m, Julien Alfred from St. Lucia and Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, the American superstar who broke her own world record twice in the 400m hurdles are finalists for the Women’s Track Athlete of the Year. The two women are nominated for their extraordinary achievements at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
The title of Athlete of the Year is one of the most prestigious categories of the World Athletics Awards, recognizing outstanding achievements and remarkable performances by athletes across various disciplines. This honor not only highlights the individual’s dedication and hard work throughout the year but also serves as a source of inspiration for aspiring athletes.
Each year, the selection process involves careful consideration of numerous factors, including world records, major competition victories, and overall contributions to the sport, making it a highly sought-after accolade in the athletic community. The significance of this award extends beyond personal recognition, as it reflects the evolving standards of excellence in athletics and the ongoing pursuit of greatness in sport.