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The former Olympic champion has pointed out the weakness about Noah Lyles that was shared by other former great sprinters including Usain Bolt and Carl Lewis.
Former American sprinter Justin Gatlin has pointed out a common weakness in reigning World Champion Noah Lyles, which he shares with other legendary sprinters like Usain Bolt and Carl Lewis.
Lyles, who recently clinched victories in both the 100m and 200m at the USATF Olympic trials, aims to be the first athlete since Bolt to win three gold medals at the upcoming Paris Olympics. Despite his dominance, Lyles' start remains a vulnerability in his racing strategy.
Lyles is renowned for his ability to gain momentum as the race progresses, a trait that has contributed to his dominance in the 200m. However, his start has always been less impressive, a characteristic Gatlin believes is similar to the starts of Bolt and Lewis.
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“It will definitely be a tall order for him to be able to run people down. 9.8s do not run 9.7s and so on and so forth,” Gatlin remarked on his Ready Set Go podcast.
He further elaborated, “If he works on his start, he can go into the next season comfortable with it. You have to remember Bolt did not have a great start. Carl Lewis did not have a great start, but they still went out there and got the job done."
Gatlin emphasized the importance of using perceived weaknesses as part of one's race strategy rather than viewing them as detrimental.
“Sometimes it is not about saying that I have an incomplete start or a weakness. Use it as part of your race strategy. Embrace it. That is who you are. Embrace it to the point where you are and then start working on it. Noah was not the best starter, and now Noah is Noah Lyles.”
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Lyles' participation in the World Indoor Championships last March, where he finished second in the 60 meters final, has been crucial in improving his start. Competing in these shorter races has allowed him to make marginal gains in the 100m, enhancing his overall performance.
“If you are able to get out with the field and you are already catching up with them at 70 meters, if you go out with them, that is less work that you have to do between 60 and 70 meters going into the finish line, it makes it easier for you. Bolt did it," Gatlin explained.
"He had the pressure thinking ‘I got to have the best start in the world because I am the best sprinter in the world’. No. Just fix a little bit. Maybe 10 percent to get success from that, and I think Noah is comfortable with that."
Gatlin believes that Lyles' strategy of competing in 60-meter races, where he has "nothing to lose," has boosted his confidence and helped him transfer these gains to the 100m outdoors.
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“For him going to run those 60s, it is almost like he has nothing to lose. I am jumping into 60s with the mindframe of ‘I have nothing to lose but I will run myself off and we will see where we are at’. Now he has that confidence and now he can transfer it over into 100m outdoors.”
With this focused approach and incremental improvements, Lyles is well-positioned to continue his dominance in sprinting and potentially achieve historic success at the Paris Olympics.
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