Olympic Gold Medalist Makes Shocking Claim About Noah Lyles

While track and field may not be even close to the biggest sports in our American landscape, every four years it comes to the forefront of attention for many as the Summer Olympics take place, and these athletes hit center stage.

This past summer at the 2024 Olympics in Paris, it was the sprinters who captured the hearts of many, dominating on a global level and winning a long list of medals. Team USA star Noah Lyles left Paris as undoubtedly the hottest topic among all of the competitors, both for his undeniable success on the track, and his polarizing personality off of it.

While Lyles has been in the news cycle a lot over the past few weeks, egging on the NBA world with comments about their championships, and also getting into a public spat with NFL star Tyreek Hill. Though some of the publicity may be considered negative, the attention that Lyles is bringing to the world of track and field is positive in the end.

At least that's what gold medalist Rai Benjamin is saying, claiming that Lyles has completely changed the game for sprinters like himself.

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"The level of attention that he has brought to the sport has been phenomenal," Benjamin said on ESPN. "Nothing that I've seen before in previous years — and we've had some pretty great people come through the sport — but the level of attention that he has brought to the sport over the past year is unreal."

Lyles is not the first track start to draw attention, of course. Athletes like Usain Bolt, Justin Gatlin, Yojan Blake, Julien Alfred, and many, many more have become superstars over the years. However, the way that Lyles has captured the attention of fans, both good and bad, is something new, and it's bringing more eyeballs to the world of track and field in the end.

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