Asafa Powell on the quality that makes Noah Lyles special, why Jamaicans should appreciate Kishane Thompson’s Olympics silver
Jamaican sprint legend Asafa Powell has explained the quality that makes Noah Lyles unique two months since his gold medal feat in the 100 meters of the Paris 2024 Olympic games.
In a thrilling final, Lyles clocked a personal best of 9.79 seconds, narrowly beating Jamaica’s Kishane Thompson, who also recorded 9.79 seconds, and Fred Kerley, who claimed bronze with 9.81 seconds.
Thompson, known for his explosive power between the 60-80 meter mark, struggled in the final, a race that required him to maintain top speed through the finish line.
Facing pressure from Kerley in lane three and South Africa’s Akani Simbine in lane five, Thompson tightened up in the closing stages, an admission he later made, attributing it to missing out on gold.
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Positioned in lane seven, Lyles overcame a slow start but surged ahead in the latter half, going head-to-head with Oblique Seville, who had bested him in both the heats and semifinals. It was Lyles’ perfectly timed dip that secured his victory by a margin of just five-thousandths of a second.
Speaking on his YouTube channel, The Powells, Powell praised Lyles for his unique ability to harness energy from both the crowd and his competitors. According to Powell, Lyles’ uncanny ability to rise to the challenge is what makes him a special athlete.
“You guys cannot count out Noah Lyles because Noah feeds off people’s energy and speed,” Powell said. “If the race was 9.75, he would have run 9.75 as well. He runs as fast as the races. If you run 9.69, he is gonna run 9.69 with you. He is gonna feed off that energy. You can never count Noah Lyles out. He always backs up what he says.”
Powell also took the time to congratulate Thompson, expressing pride in the Jamaican’s Olympic debut.
“Congrats to Noah Lyles and Kishane. 9.79, Olympic final, silver medal—big things guys. I know Jamaica wanted the gold, but celebrate the silver medal because it is not the end. We have a long way to go, so cheer him on,” he added.
Thompson, competing in his first Olympic Games, has undoubtedly made an impression, but as Powell pointed out, his journey is just beginning. As for Lyles, his ability to adapt and feed off the competition, particularly in high-pressure moments, continues to solidify his position as one of the sport’s top sprinters.
Powell, a 100-meter specialist who set the world record twice with times of 9.77 and 9.74 seconds, understands the immense pressure that comes with competing at the highest level.
Though he never secured an individual Olympic gold, Powell broke the 10-second barrier 97 times, more than anyone else in history. His personal best of 9.72 seconds ranks him fourth on the all-time list of 100-meter athletes.
While Powell’s individual accolades fell short of the elusive Olympic gold, his contribution to Jamaica’s 4×100 meters relay team helped secure gold at the 2016 Olympics, adding to two World Championship titles in the same event.
His insights into Lyles’ Olympic triumph offer a glimpse into the mindset needed to compete at the very top, proving that success is often a combination of physical ability and mental resilience.
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