{"id":152778,"date":"2025-12-15T11:38:03","date_gmt":"2025-12-15T16:38:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/runningmagazine.ca\/?p=152778"},"modified":"2025-12-15T11:57:06","modified_gmt":"2025-12-15T16:57:06","slug":"noah-lyles-calls-world-athletics-awards-kind-of-a-joke","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/runningmagazine.ca\/the-scene\/noah-lyles-calls-world-athletics-awards-kind-of-a-joke\/","title":{"rendered":"Noah Lyles calls World Athletics Awards \u201ckind of a joke\u201d"},"content":{"rendered":"

Reigning Olympic 100m champion Noah Lyles<\/strong> was in India on Sunday as a guest of the Bajaj Pune Marathon, where he met with media before serving as the race’s celebrity starter. During those interviews, Lyles was asked about being a finalist for the 2025 World Athletics Male Athlete of the Year award, an honour given to Swedish pole vault world-record holder Mondo Duplantis<\/strong>. His response raised some eyebrows.<\/p>\n

The 28-year-old said he didn\u2019t expect to be nominated in the first place, after spending part of the season sidelined by injury. What he did expect, however, was not to win.<\/p>\n

\"Noah
Noah Lyles holds up the American flag after winning world championship gold in the men’s 200m in Tokyo. Photo: Nick Iwanyshyn<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

“There\u2019s a lot more politics to these awards than you think,” Lyles told India’s The Hindu Sports<\/em><\/a>. “It\u2019s not that I don\u2019t think Mondo deserves Athlete of the Year\u2014I mean, he breaks the world record every year.”<\/p>\n

Lyles called the award “redundant” and questioned the nomination process after American sprint star Melissa Jefferson-Wooden<\/strong><\/a> was not one of the finalists. “At this point, this award is kind of a joke,” Lyles said.<\/p>\n

Duplantis and American hurdles (now sprint) phenom Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone<\/strong> were named the 2025 male and female winners<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"mondo
Mondo Duplantis won gold at the 2025 World Athletics Championships with a new men’s pole vault world record of 6.30 metres. Photo: Kevin Morris<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Lyles pointed to Jefferson-Wooden\u2019s snub as an example of what he sees as a flawed system. Jefferson-Wooden had a breakout season, winning world championship gold in the 100m and 200m and helping Team USA also win the women’s 4x100m relay title. She also ran world-leading times in both disciplines and became the fourth-fastest woman in history with her 10.61 performance in the Tokyo 100m final.<\/p>\n

Though Lyles\u2019s words may sound like sour grapes, he wasn\u2019t alone in holding that view. Former Canadian Olympic sprinter and current track and field commentator Anson Henry<\/strong> agreed, posting on Instagram that it was “a joke” for her not to be nominated.<\/p>\n

This isn\u2019t the first time Lyles has publicly criticized the World Athletics Awards<\/a>. In 2023, he won the honour but was forced to share it with Duplantis and the late Kenyan marathoner Kelvin Kiptum <\/strong>(the first and only time the award has been split).<\/p>\n

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I\u2019m guessing that was not WA\u2019s goal but that is how it made me feel. I do believe that there should be more awards included in the event but not with exclusion of the AOY award.<\/p>\n

\u2014 Noah Lyles, OLY (@LylesNoah) December 14, 2023<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n