Noah Lyles Snubbed Usain Bolt When Naming 'Most Complete' Sprinter Ever

Noah Lyles does not believe Usain Bolt is the best all-round sprinter to ever grace the track despite the Jamaican sporting icon having multiple sprint records and medals to his name. The opinion of the American sprinter and current 100m Olympic champion will surprise many, as Bolt dominated the sprint field at the 2008, 2012, and 2016 summer Olympic Games. Across the three Olympics, he picked up eight gold medals from competing individually in the 100m and 200m, and with fellow Jamaican sprinters in the 4x100m relays.

Initially, Bolt had nine gold medals to his name, but Jamaica's gold medal win in the 2008 4x100m relay was later stripped away from them due to Nesta Carter positively testing for a banned substance. Also, Bolt holds world records in both the 100m and 200m formats, running sensational times of 9.58s and 19.



19s respectively. These two world record times were both recorded at the 2009 World Championships in Berlin. Despite these achievements cementing Bolt as one of the greatest athletes of the 21st Century , Lyles favours one of Bolt's compatriots and relay teammates as the most complete sprinter to ever take to the track.

Noah Lyles Did Not Pick Usain Bolt as 'Most Complete' Sprinter He believes former Jamaican star, Asafa Powell, to be the best ever in that regard, even if he did come up short on some occasions. When the topic was put to him in an interview with The Final Leg last year, the American stated: "Truthfully? It's crazy when I say this because he's known as a choker, but it's also powerful. The man puts together perfect races.

" Powell did not always deliver in the biggest races as he never won an individual Olympic medal and could only manage two bronze medals at the World Athletics Championships. Going into further detail about his choice and reason for selecting Powell as the most complete sprinter, Lyles commented: "His execution of the start, his reaction times, his acceleration, his transition - smooth. It's relaxed when he's not under pressure.

And he finishes. It never fails." Powell's impressive running technique resulted in some notable success for the Jamaican, as he broke the 100m record on multiple occasions between 2005 and 2007, before Bolt came into the frame and took over the sprinting game.

His personal best sprint time in the 100m of 9.72 seconds came at the Athlettisima Grand Prix in Lausanne in 2008. However, Lyles believes Powell's personal best time could have been even more impressive due to his complete running style, saying: "Everybody who watches his race is like, 'Oh, his world record could have been so much greater.

' And he’s like, 'Yeah, it could have'." Fastest 100m times (as of 17/04/25) Rank Athlete Time Nationality Venue Date 1. Usain Bolt 9.

58s Jamaican Berlin, Germany 16/08/09 2. Usain Bolt 9.63s Jamaican London, England 05/08/12 3.

Usain Bolt 9.69s Jamaican Beijing, China 16/08/08 4. Tyson Gay 9.

69s American Shanghai, China 20/09/09 5. Yohan Blake 9.69s Jamaican Lausanne, Switzerland 23/08/12 6.

Tyson Gay 9.71s American Berlin, Germany 16/08/09 7. Usain Bolt 9.

72s Jamaican New York, USA 31/05/08 8. Asafa Powell 9.72s Jamaican Lausanna, Switzerland 02/09/08 9.

Asafa Powell 9.74s Jamaican Rieti, Italy 09/09/07 10. Justin Gatlin 9.

74s American Doha, Qatar 15/05/15 While Lyles is a massive admirer of Powell due to how the Jamaican raced during his career, the American does not form his strategy for 100m contests on the former sprinter's style. He explained: "That man has what I consider one of the perfect models for sprinting in the 100. My problem is I'm not built like him, so I can't model myself after that.

" Lyles is looking to cement himself as the next leading star of the sprint game, and after winning gold in last summer's 100m final at the Olympics in Paris, he is well on his way to emulating stars of the past such as Bolt and Powell. In three years' time, he will defend his 100m crown in front of his native crowd, as the Olympics heads to Los Angeles in 2028. Usain Bolt was in no doubt when naming the true Olympic GOAT between himself and legendary swimmer Michael Phelps.

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