Christian Coleman Weighs In on Noah Lyles' 'Unusual' Track Rituals: 'It's a Chess Match'

Former world champion Christian Coleman has opened up about Noah Lyles' pre-race antics, observing his behaviour through a different lens than most of the athletes.

Noah Lyles' warm-up routine is anything but standard. He often engages in explosive hops, high jumps, and energetic bounces that some fans see as wasted energy.

When asked if Noah Lyles' high-energy start-line routine was a distraction, Christian Coleman was unequivocal. "When I get out there, I don’t see anybody but me," he stated in an interview shared by Bodega Track. "I look at those things, those are just tactics… to throw you off your game."

Coleman, a veteran of the sport, brings a wealth of experience to his analysis. After turning professional in 2017, he quickly became renowned for having one of the fastest starts in the world.

His career reached a pinnacle in 2019 when he won the 100m World Championship in Doha with a blistering time of 9.76 seconds, the fastest that year.

He also anchored the US 4x100m relay team to gold, sparking conversations about him being a potential successor in the post-Usain Bolt era.

With this background, Coleman interprets Lyles' elaborate movements not as random bursts of energy but as a deliberate method to build his own confidence, command the spotlight, and potentially unsettle his rivals.

The two athletes have been rivals since entering the professional circuit around the same time, Lyles in 2016 and Coleman in 2017. For Coleman, sprinting is a mental battle as much as a physical one.

"It’s a chess match," he explained. "It’s all about just how confident you can be in yourself to get yourself to be locked in to do what you need to do."

He acknowledged that every athlete has a unique approach. "Everybody has their own strategies, everybody has their own tactics," Coleman said.

"I’ve been around the sport a long time. I’ve been around Noah a long time, too, to be able to know what exactly he’s doing. And so when I get out there, I have my own strategy."

In stark contrast to Lyles, Coleman’s pre-race preparation is quiet and focused. He avoids visible emotion, concentrating instead on repeated block starts and explosive drills over short distances to perfect his reaction time. This fundamental difference in their approaches often dictates how their races unfold.

The competition between Lyles and Coleman intensified during the 2024 indoor season. At the USA Indoor Championships, Noah Lyles narrowly defeated Christian Coleman in the 60m, clocking 6.43 seconds to Coleman's 6.44.

Weeks later, at the World Indoor Championships in Glasgow, Coleman turned the tables, winning gold in 6.41 seconds while Lyles took silver with 6.44.

Their rivalry is defined by their contrasting race patterns. Coleman is known for his explosive start, aiming to dominate the first 30 meters.

Lyles, on the other hand, is a powerful finisher who builds momentum and often closes strong in the latter half of the race.

This dynamic was on full display during the outdoor season. Lyles won the 100m at the US Olympic Trials to secure his spot for Paris, while Coleman finished fourth and did not qualify in that event.

Their personal bests underscore how closely matched they are, with Coleman's 9.76 from 2019 remaining one of the fastest times in history. Noah Lyles' personal best time stands at 9.79 seconds, a time set at the Paris Olympic Games.