Noah Lyles wasted no time in accepting Miami Dolphins star Tyreek Hill’s challenge to a race. The Olympic gold medalist even dictated the terms of the challenge to make it happen.
Lyles and Hill have been trading jabs online for much of the past week after Hill challenged Lyles to a race last week. Hill formally issued the challenge on Aug. 18, writing on social media, “Sign the contract and secure that 50-yard race.”
Lyles has no problem competing against Hill, but the real issue is the length of the event. Lyles won the gold medal in the 100 meters, but Hill is apparently only willing to run half that distance, which is much more realistic for a football player.
The Olympian shared her conditions for the race in an interview on August 21 NBC News.
“If someone wants to sponsor the event and we're racing for millions of dollars and we're on a track and we're running 100 meters, then of course we can race,” he made clear. “But it has to be legitimate. I'm not here to cheat. You're competing with a guy who's worked his whole life to get the title of 'the fastest man in the world,' and you've worked to be a great football player. You don't just jump the line because you're a great football player.”
Related: Olympic Gold Medalist Noah Lyles Reveals He Was Raised in a 'Cult'
American football players like Hill are more accustomed to the 50-yard dash or the NFL's standard 40-yard dash, but Lyles was stubborn and said he would only run a 100-yard race against the Dolphins' wide receiver.
“I repeat, I'm not here to fake it,” Lyles repeated. “I'm told if you want to challenge the 'fastest man in the world,' you want to challenge that, you've got to challenge that in his event.”
To this day, eight-time Olympic gold medalist Usain Bolt is often referred to as the “fastest man in the world” as he holds the 100-metre world record. Lyles has drawn distinctions among various titles, including “fastest man in the world” and “fastest man alive”.
Time will tell if Lyles and Hill will meet on the track.