Noah Lyles remains an unpopular figure among American sports stars.
On Monday, Miami Dolphins star receiver Tyreek Hill slammed Lyles for earlier comments suggesting the U.S. league champions couldn’t call themselves the best in the world.
“Noah Lyles can’t say anything after what just happened,” Hill said on “Up & Adams.” “And it seems like he wants to go out and pretend he’s sick. I think that’s a bit of a wasabi thing. How dare he do that and say we’re not world champions in this sport? Come on. Just speak what you know, and that’s track.”
Lyles won gold in the 100 meters and bronze in the 200 meters despite later revealing that he had COVID-19.
The sprinter’s illness seemed to be the catalyst for Hill’s harsh words, when he was asked by presenter Kay Adams if he would like to race against Lyles.
“I’m going to beat Noah Lyles,” Hill repeated. “Guess what? When I beat him, I’m going to wear a COVID mask and let him know I’m serious, because I’m serious.”
Men’s 200m final. Andrzej Iwanczuk/NurPhoto/Shutterstock
Hill soon doubled down on his X-sport ambitions, hinting at competing in track and field at the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles.
“I love the race I’m running in 2028.” Hill posted.
Hill, 30, has been considered the fastest man in football since his breakout season in 2017, and there’s empirical support for that claim.
According to Next Gen Stats, Hill recorded three of the 10 fastest times recorded by a ball carrier last year, all of which were 21.66 mph or faster.
The wide receiver also thrived on the race course, running the 60-meter dash in 6.7 seconds at the 2023 USA Track and Field Masters Indoor Championships, reminding people of his track and field prowess.
While at Oklahoma State, Hill recorded personal best times of 10.19 seconds in the 100 meters and 20.14 seconds in the 200 meters.
Meanwhile, Lyles finished with times of 9.79 seconds in the 100 meters and 19.70 seconds in the 200 meters.
Hill’s feud with Lyles only further complicates his ongoing saga with a number of prominent American basketball players, including Kevin Durant and Anthony Edwards.
Edwards, a two-time medal winner in Paris, made it clear on social media on Monday that coach Lyles had not refused to attend events for Edwards, despite claims that he downplayed the Timberwolves star’s importance because of his failure to win an NBA title.
