The Jamaican sprinting legend Usain Bolt believes Noah Lyles couldn’t have medalled in 2012, calling that Olympic final unmatched.
Usain Bolt has recently reignited the sprinting debate by firmly dismissing claims that the 2024 Olympic 100m final, won by Noah Lyles, was superior to the legendary 2012 showdown in London.
Speaking on the Ready Set Go podcast alongside fellow sprinting greats Justin Gatlin and Rodney Green, Bolt passionately defended the iconic 2012 race as the gold standard for sprinting excellence.
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In a conversation fueled by nostalgia and competitive pride, Bolt insisted that Lyles, alongside silver medallist Kishane Thompson, would have been outclassed had they faced the stacked field from London 2012.
He pointed to several key reasons why today’s stars wouldn’t have survived, let alone medalled, in what many regard as the greatest sprint final of all time.
3. Unmatched Competition Depth
Bolt was clear in his message: the 2012 Olympic final was not just a race, it was a generational event.
The lineup included himself, Yohan Blake, Tyson Gay, and Justin Gatlin—all of whom had sub-9.80 credentials. Bolt clocked a then-Olympic record of 9.63 seconds, with Blake and Gatlin running 9.75 and 9.79 respectively.
“When you look at that line-up,” said Gatlin, “you won’t ever replicate that race ever again in life. The top five men in history were in that race.”
Lyles may have won gold in 2024 with a time of 9.83, but as Bolt bluntly pointed out, “Nobody in that race would have gotten a medal in 2012.” Lyles’ time would have only been good enough for sixth place in London.
2. Peak Physical and Mental Toughness
Noah Lyles defeated Kishane Thompson to win Paris Olympics 100m gold
Bolt emphasized that the mental edge required in 2012 was just as fierce as the physical.
“In 2012, I was right beside Justin (Gatlin) when the gun went, he was one step ahead of me and I was like, how is this even possible,” Bolt recalled.
“It’s a good thing I’m mentally tough.”
The sheer intensity of lining up against multiple former world champions and world-record holders was pressure few could withstand.
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Bolt and Gatlin agreed that neither Lyles nor Thompson had demonstrated the consistency and nerve under pressure to match that level of competition.
1. Superior Legacy and Historical Impact
The 2012 race was not just about speed but it was about legacy. As Gatlin noted, “The fact of our lineup is we were all in the same generation and we lined up at the same time. That was the most epic race when it came to legacy.”
While Lyles edged Thompson by just five-thousandths of a second in Paris 2024 in what was certainly a dramatic finish, the overall field lacked the star power and historical significance of 2012.
“Time wise, I get where you’re coming from,” admitted Gatlin, “but you won’t replicate that race ever again.”
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Bolt has also weighed in on the future of sprinting, identifying Jamaica’s Oblique Seville as the one man with the potential to break his iconic 9.58 world record if he can stay injury-free.
Despite Seville’s eighth-place finish in Paris due to a groin flare-up, Bolt remains optimistic: “If he can stay fit and get it right, I feel he can do it.”
But as for the current Olympic medalists stepping into the 2012 arena?
“They’d have been chasing tails,” Bolt laughed.
And coming from the fastest man in history, that is not just banter, it is legacy speaking.
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