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Usain Bolt believes Noah Lyles’s bullish character would have been swallowed up during his era as he reflected on his career with Nigerian legendary footballer Mikel Obi.
Multiple track World Record (WR) holder Usain Bolt has given his candid opinion on Noah Lyles‘s bullish character during the Obione podcast chat with legendary Nigerian footballer Mikel Obi.
The Olympic eight-time Gold medallist opened up about his iconic career, staunch rivalry with American sprinter Justin Gatlin, and the present generation of sprinters led by world 100m champion Lyles.
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Mikel Obi and Usain Bolt after the Podcast chat. (Photo Credit: Mikel Obi/IG)
Bolt, who retired as the greatest sprinter in history, talked about what he misses about the sport and the overview of sprinting.
“It’s walking that first initial walk into the stadium and then the crown sees you and screams, it’s different man, it’s a different feeling. You know what I mean, you go into the blocks you stride out, there’s no way of getting that feeling now” said Bolt.
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Usain Bolt at Beijing 2008 Olympic Games final
“So at times when I watch track and field, I do miss it,” he added. “But then you think about training, and you’ll be like, whatever, I’m fine.”
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Jamaican track legend Usain Bolt speaks to Mikel Obi on the biggest lesson he learnt on his journey to greatness in athletics.
On the present crop of sprinters compared to the competition during his days, the Jamaican legend shut down the bullish character of Lyles and wished he competed during his days.
“I love competition, you know what I mean. Even now, I see Noah Lyles running I’m like I wish he was in my era to shut it down, just be cool. It was different, that’s how competitive I am. I wish I was in this era.”
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Erriyon Knighton, Noah Lyles, and Kenny Bednarek will represent the US in the 200m event at the Paris Olympics //
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Bolt also delved into his rivalry with Gatlin and how he kept him on his toes to be a winning athlete.
“I think Justin Gatlin, I have to give my hats off to him,” he said. “The last five, six years of my career, it was me and him every season. He kept me on my toes throughout, and I loved the competition.”
The athletics legend shared a particularly poignant moment when he was struggling with motivation, and a video of Gatlin confidently predicting his victory reignited the Jamaican’s competitive spirit.
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Usain Bolt and Justin Gatlin were two of the most dominant sprinters in history.
“I remember I’m just on Instagram scrolling, and someone sent me a video,” Bolt recalled. “He [Gatlin] was like, ‘Justin, I’m gonna win, don’t worry, and I’m going to wear the gold medal around my neck.’ And I’m like, ‘What?’ Alright, let’s go then.”
Bolt also highlighted Gatlin’s consistency and reliability in championship events, quoting his coach:
“Listen, Gatlin is going to show up. He is that guy in a Championship; no matter what is going on, he is going to show up.”
Bolt and Gatlin, as well as Tyson Gay, Yohan Blake, and Asafa Powell, dominated the sprinting world for over a decade, sharing multiple medals and WRs in their names while ending their careers as the top fastest men in history.
