By Chris Chavez
August 18, 2024
On Shannon Sharpe and Chad Ochocinco’s “Nightcap” podcast, Noah Lyles said that he believes he could threaten the 400m world record of 43.03s set by Wayde van Niekerk at the 2016 Olympics, if the 100m Olympic champion committed to the 400m full-time.
Here’s what you need to know:
– Sharpe brought up the fact that 400m Olympic champion Quincy Hall believes Lyles would run a solid open 400m time.
– Lyles’ 400m personal best remains 47.04 from when he was a high schooler in 2016. He has not run an open 400m since then. Lyles was hopeful he would be part of the Team USA 4x400m relay at the Paris Olympics after splitting 45.68 as the third leg of the American squad that took silver at the 2024 World Indoor Championships. Lyles did not contest any of the relays after testing positive for COVID before the 200m, where he ended up with a bronze medal.
– Here’s what he told Sharpe about his 400m prospects while drawing comparisons to training partner Jereem Richards of Trinidad and Tobago.
“Jereem Richards – he is a 19.80 200m runner. And he decided that he was going to focus more on the 400m this year. He was in that (Olympic) final. He got fourth with 43.78. New national record. I believe it’s in the top 10 all-time fastest times…My PR is 19.3 in the 200m. And I have some pretty good strength on me as well. I truly would like to take a shot at the world record if I decide to move to the 400m truly and give it my 100% for multiple years – yeah I’m going after the world record.”
– Sharpe reiterated that the world records in the 400m and 200m are 43.03 and 19.19, respectively.
“My brain understands it,” Lyles responded. “My body doesn’t know the difference. Why would my body think that’s a hard time? My body don’t know that that’s hard. If I keep telling it to get faster and faster, it’s going to try and adapt. It’s going to keep moving toward that time.”
What comes next?
Lyles said that he is shutting down the remainder of the 2024 season and will not contest any of the upcoming Diamond League meets.
He has the bye for the 2025 World Championships as the reigning gold medalist in the 100m and 200m.
“The way I’m going to see the next three years is I want to perfect how to handle the double. When I was going through the last Olympic cycle, I was going through trying to perfect how to make my 200m so good that I could run the 100m. Now I’ve been able to have both of them. Now, I want to be able to say I want to be prepared to run my fastest each and every round. I want to know the 100m like the back of my hand. I want to know the 200m like both of my hands. I want to make sure that I am fully prepared…When we get to LA, we’re going to be so prepared no matter what is thrown at us, we’re going to be ready for it.”
Chris Chavez
Chris Chavez launched CITIUS MAG in 2016 as a passion project while working full-time for Sports Illustrated. He covered the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro and grew his humble blog into a multi-pronged media company. He completed all six World Marathon Majors and is an aspiring sub-five-minute miler.
