Noah Lyles delivered a composed yet pointed response after fellow sprinter Fred Kerley questions his credentials and toughness.
Olympic 100m champion Noah Lyles found himself in an unexpected war of words this past week after fellow Team USA sprinter Fred Kerley made headlines with a direct and stinging comment.
Speaking on The Pivot podcast, the two-time Olympic medallist and former 100m world champion dismissed Lyles’ credentials.
“Go look at the record book, look who got more wins. I’ll leave it like that. I’m dealing with more of the stuff than he dealing with. I’m telling you, he not built like me,” he said.
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But instead of firing back with bravado, Lyles delivered a response that was equal parts personal, poised, and powerful.
Pulse Sports looks at three reasons why Noah Lyles did not back down—and why his answer might’ve hit even harder than Kerley’s original jab.
3. Noah Lyles Called Out the Comment Without Escalating the Beef
Lyles heard Kerley’s words but he did not let it slide nor turn it into a spectacle.
On the Beyond the Records podcast with teammates Rai Benjamin and Grant Holloway, Lyles addressed it directly and calmly.
“While I was resting and recovering, I see this clip where Fred’s like ‘he’s not built like me, he ain’t like me’,” Lyles recalled. His tone? Firm but composed as per Olympics.com.
Noah Lyles Called Out the Comment Without Escalating the Beef
Rather than matching fire with fire, Lyles chose a measured route. He did not go for cheap shots or social media jabs.
He spoke where he was comfortable, on his own platformand delivered a response that was harder to argue with than it was to attack.
2. Noah Lyles Respected Kerley’s Journey—But Defended His Own
Kerley’s “he not built like me” line clearly referenced more than just athletics—it touched on his personal upbringing and struggles. Rai Benjamin stepped in on the podcast to point out that Kerley was likely referring to a difficult childhood.
Lyles did not dispute that. In fact, he acknowledged it outright. “I never went through that,” he said. But he also made it clear that his life came with challenges of its own.
“Just as much as he never was staying up in the hospital every night with asthma, wondering if he’s going to be breathing the next morning,” Lyles shared.
The message? Struggles don’t all look the same. Just because someone doesn’t share your story doesn’t mean they haven’t fought their own battles. And Lyles, quietly but firmly, reminded everyone of that.
1.Noah Lyles Let His Olympic Gold End the Conversation
Lyles did not need to dig into stats or list out his credentials as he is the reigning world and Olympic 100m champion. That alone says enough.
And he made sure to say just enough to drive that home.
“So yeah, I’m not built like you – and you not built like me,” he concluded.
“And I’m perfectly fine with that, ’cause I got the Olympic gold.”
He simply reminded everyone that when the world was watching, he delivered. The comment cut through the noise.
And while Kerley may believe Lyles is not “built like him,” the scoreboard—and the finish line—might say otherwise.
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