Noah Lyles is chasing history – and there is now a major financial incentive to fuel his pursuit. The American sprint king, widely regarded as the fastest man in the world today, has been offered a staggering performance bonus if he manages to do what many have considered impossible for over a decade: break Usain Bolt’s legendary 200m world record of 19.19 seconds.
According to reports from the athletics world, Lyles’ management team and event organizers have worked out a deal that would reward him with a record-breaking bonus payout should he achieve the feat. The exact figure has not been publicly confirmed, but insiders claim it could be in the range of several hundred thousand dollars – an unprecedented amount in track and field history for a single performance.
For Lyles, who already has multiple World Championship gold medals to his name, the money is just extra motivation. The real prize, he says, is the chance to cement himself in the same conversation as Bolt, the greatest sprinter of all time.
Breaking Bolt’s 200m record is considered one of the hardest tasks in all of athletics. Bolt set the mark at the 2009 World Championships in Berlin, storming to a jaw-dropping 19.19 seconds just four days after setting the 100m record of 9.58. For over 15 years, no one has come close.
Lyles, however, has been knocking on the door. His personal best of 19.31, set at the 2022 World Championships, makes him the third-fastest man ever over the distance, behind only Bolt and fellow Jamaican legend Yohan Blake.
Lyles has made no secret of his desire to take down Bolt’s records. In interviews, he often speaks about visualizing the race, working on his start, and perfecting his curve technique. “I know what I’m capable of,” Lyles told reporters recently. “Every year I get closer. The world record is not untouchable. It’s just waiting for the right moment.”
The bonus could add even more intrigue to Lyles’ upcoming season. With the Tokyo World Championships and the Diamond League circuit ahead, fans will have multiple chances to see him attempt the record. Athletics promoters are also aware that the storyline of Lyles chasing Bolt’s mark will draw global attention, potentially bringing a surge of new viewers to the sport.
Financial incentives in track and field are nothing new, but this level of bonus highlights how much the sport needs a new transcendent moment. Bolt’s electrifying runs in the late 2000s made him a global superstar, elevating sprinting to a new level of popularity. Lyles now carries that torch, and many believe he has the charisma and speed to usher in a new era.
Whether or not Lyles breaks the record this season, the chase itself is already generating excitement. If he does succeed, the bonus will be well-earned — and his name will be etched permanently into athletics history alongside the man whose shadow he has been chasing.
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