Tyreek Hill challenged Noah Lyles to a race and here is how the Team USA Olympic gold medalist responded

While there’s no question that the Dolphins’ pass catcher is fast, one has to wonder whether he’s ‘Olympic fast’. Regardless, now that Team USA’s 100m gold medalist has hit back it may be that we’re all about to find out.

Noah Lyles isn’t familiar with Tyreek Hill

Like him or not, Noah Lyles is now an Olympic champion having won the gold medal in the men’s 100m race at the 2024 Paris Games. Lyles also managed to win a bronze medal in the 200m but that’s where things get a little touchy. Prior to that race, Lyles was seen wearing a mask and following it, had to be transported off the track via wheelchair. The 27-year-old then proceeded to inform the world that he had been diagnosed with covid-19 and not long after that, opted to head back home to the United States, cutting his Olympic campaign short.

Enter Miami Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill. Indeed, just days after Lyles’ departure, Hill declared that he could beat Lyles in a race, suggesting that the sprinter falsified his covid-19 diagnosis to cover his performance or lack thereof. It should come as no surprise that Lyles has now responded in kind which likely means this is just getting started. “What’s that guy’s...What’s the cheetah guy from football?” Lyles said in a recent interview. “I can’t remember his name. Mark! What’s the football player who thinks he’s fast name?” After an extended period, Lyles finally shouted, “Tyreek Hill!”

Now, we can safely assume that Lyles’ use of the word “Cheetah” which is Hill’s well-known nickname is confirmation that he knows exactly who the Dolphins star is and we can also assume that Lyles knows exactly what he’s doing when he suggests that he doesn’t. To that end, one has to wonder if the next step is for details of a race to be negotiated between the two men. Yet, as is usually the case there is context and it’s key. Lyles hasn’t exactly endeared himself to the professional sports leagues of the United States in recent times.

Indeed, it wasn’t that long ago that he incurred the wrath of teams in the NBA after criticizing those who declared themselves as “world champions” after winning an NBA title - teams from MLB, NFL, and NHL do the same. “You know the thing that hurts me the most is that I have to watch the NBA Finals and they have ‘world champion’ on they head,” Lyles said last September. “World champion of what? The United States?” Whether Lyles is right in his assessment of American sports teams is clearly a layered conversation that will almost certainly lead to varying conclusions. On the other hand, it seems to us that Noah Lyles has a challenge to answer to before any such conversation can be had.