Zharnel Hughes, the fastest man in Great Britain, has openly criticized Noah Lyles’ behavior on the track, particularly his flamboyant displays and trash-talking.
In an interview with Sky Sports, Hughes, the world 100m bronze medallist, stated that he is unimpressed by Lyles’ efforts to change the sport, finding his rival’s actions on the track unappealing. Hughes explained that his view of track and field differs significantly from Lyles’, particularly when it comes to the way Lyles conducts himself during races.
While Hughes acknowledged that Lyles’ trash-talking might help him build confidence, he does not see it as beneficial for the sport. He emphasized the importance of bringing their best performances to the track on race day. “At the end of the day, we are serious competitors but it’s not like we hate each other or anything. I personally don’t dislike him, I probably don’t like his ways in regard to how he gets on the track. I guess that’s how he gives himself confidence and stuff but overall, I don’t have any issue with Noah Lyles, I don’t have anything against him,” Hughes said.
Hughes also highlighted the competitive nature of the sport, acknowledging that athletes’ egos often come into play when fighting for medals. He said, “I mean, at the end of the day, we are all there fighting for the same medals and stuff, so, I mean, you’re going to bring your game and I’m going to bring my game. We probably might clash, head-to-head because, at the end of the day, we are so driven by our egos. You get to see different characters in us. His ways, I don’t know, I really don’t know. His head turns and my head turns are probably different.”
Hughes also expressed interest in Michael Johnson’s Grand Slam Track league, calling it a great initiative that he would love to be part of. He praised the idea of introducing something new to the sport, which he believes could bring more attention to track and field. “I said to my coach and agent that it might be something we might pick because I find it very interesting to have something like that new to the sport of track and field, it gets a bit of head turns here and there, brings a little bit more light to the sport and I want to be a part of that, so who knows, we’ll see,” he added.
