Noah Lyles is full of passion. And that is exactly what he channeled to express himself in the SPRINT documentary. In episode 5 of the series, Lyles opened up about his mindset going into the World Championship. For the uninitiated, Lyles posted his goals of running the 100m in 9.65s and 200m in 19.10s. Such a claim invited significant criticism, to which Lyles reacted in SPRINT. He said, “I say I’m going to run 9.65 and 19.10. The amount of hate was astronomical. What the heck does me saying my goal have to do with you?”

Surely, this statement did not sit well with the fans and was interpreted to be a sign of arrogance. Things escalated further when in one of the episodes, Lyles mentioned, “If people think I’m corny I’m still getting the medals.” Well, this was not the end of controversial statements from Lyles. Looking at the uproar after the release of the documentary, Noah Lyles took a dig at the fans, calling them negative and saying that the naysayers should have no bearing on his neon-sign aspirations. 

Lyles’ X post read, “Ight Twitter, y’all too negative for me right now. I’ll catch y’all after the Olympics.” Thus, with all these comments coming from Noah Lyles, it was certain that the surrounding heat will only worsen further. And surely it has. 

Lyles is in the vortex of a huge controversy 

Following the recent events, fans were quick to express their opinions on X. One fan highlighted Jamaican fans’ discontent with Noah Lyles being labeled the fastest man in the world, possibly overlooking their own star sprinters. The post read, “Jamaican fans, seeing Noah Lyles get called the fastest man in the world:” Such a sentiment might have been fueled by Lyles’ controversial statements and his portrayal in Netflix’s “SPRINT” documentary, which many found arrogant and dismissive of other athletes in the track community 

Another fan took a shot at creating a contrast between Noah Lyles’ attitude in the documentary and Usain Bolt’s demeanor. The comment also detailed how Usain Bolt was the complete antithesis of his self-awareness and confidence. The comment read, “Noah Lyles is the arrogance  and insecurity to someone like Bolts confidence and self awareness.#sprintnetflix #sprint #netflix” Lyles is seen as arrogant and insecure by several fans for his bold claims and defensive reactions, unlike the Jamaican track legend.

Reflecting on their frustration with Noah Lyles’ dominant presence and perceived arrogance in the Netflix documentary ‘SPRINT’, one X user added “Way too much Noah Lyles who’s not likable at all.” Several viewers felt his outspoken goals and dismissive remarks about criticism overshadowed other significant track and field stars.

Noah Lyles’ self-assured remarks have drawn heavy criticism. Fans found his comments arrogant and his attitude off-putting, leading to a heavy backlash. Referring to Lyles’ claims and portrayal of himself on the docuseries, another X user humorously took a dig at the same. The fan questioned Lyles’ superstar status, claiming that he is delusional to think so highly of himself, saying, “Noah Lyles is easily the corniest dude on the planet. My man thinks he is a super star lmaoooo.”

On the other hand, one fan backed Lyles as they shared their personal opinion that Lyles is a victim of branding and publicity stunts. The tweet read, “Noah Lyles fell victim to these “branding” schemes that agents use to pump up already inflated egos. “I’m going to transcend the sport”?  Selfish.  Should have been “I want us all to be recognized for what we do and I want to lead that effort”  Selfless. #SprintNetflix” 

One netizen humorously manifested a desire to channel Noah Lyles’ unshakeable confidence in facing life’s challenges. Referring to Lyles’ bold statements and attitude portrayed in the Netflix documentary “SPRINT,” despite criticism, the fan commented, “I summon the confidence of Noah Lyles over my life 😭🕯” 

Well, with things getting pretty much heated, it is now up to Noah Lyles to prove himself. Whether he can or not will be the big question lingering as Paris draws nearer.