The track and field realm shelters the most talented athletes and most of them hail from either Jamaica or the US. Among them, the two most prominent names are Noah Lyles and Sha’Carri Richardson, who jointly took their nation to great heights at the 2023 World Athletics Championships. Lyles bagged three golds and SCR secured two. Since then, the internet has been set ablaze, but there are some missing puzzle pieces.
Times when Usain Bolt or Carl Lewis took the stage, the vibe was different. Even in 2022’s ‘The Powells’ podcast, Bolt and his fellow retiree shared a talk about how they set the standards that the younger athletes enjoy. Speaking unabashedly about the recent track scenario, a US legend opened up on X.
Michael Johnson is not content with Noah Lyles’ time
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Resorting to his X handle, the former speedster wrote, “Reporter just said “track & field lacks personalities like Bolt, Carl, and you.” My personality wasn’t nearly as exciting as Noah, Sha’Carri, Shelley-Ann, Karston, or Jakob. There isn’t a lack of personalities. Problem is the sport is no longer a platform for great personalities”. Johnson stands with 16 golds across Olympics and World Championships and Bolt is the track GOAT. When they ran, the beauty of athletics lay in the humility and groundedness.
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The athletes hardly look beyond competition and media presence in today’s world. To stand by the definition and show his love for track, the 4x Olympic gold medalist will start his new fan-focussed track league. “I’m in a position to help this sport get back to where it should be”, said he. Though the athletes are garnering praise from worldwide, Bolt and Powell had a legitimate complaint.
The pay was also a factor that caught the OGs’ attention
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The podcast that stirred up the internet starred the two Jamaicans who ruled athletics once. “…they come up in this hype and this excitement so they feel like celebrities. A lot of few of them get more money….we built it so we never get that much money”, said Bolt when talking about what pace they set for future Jamaican athletes. A similar storyline is of Johnson, who also did the same for America.
Besides pointing out what is lacking in athletics today, Johnson, being an avid X user, never misses out on praising the likes of Lyles and SCR. In the Olympic year, on seeing them perform, the OG history makers will walk down memory lane to relive their moments, undoubtedly.
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