In a surprising turn of events, YouTube sensation IShowSpeed faced off against Olympic champion Noah Lyles in a 50m sprint organized by MrBeast. The race followed Lyles’ triumph at the 2024 Paris Olympics, where he claimed gold in the 100m event. Although Lyles emerged victorious in the contest, the race proved much closer than fans anticipated, with Speed nearly pulling off an upset. This performance seemingly fueled the YouTuber’s confidence, leading him to set his sights on competing at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
During a recent appearance on Shannon Sharpe’s podcast Club Shay Shay, Speed expressed his ambition to become an Olympic sprinter. He claimed he could have beaten Lyles in a rematch that night and asserted that with proper training, he could reach Olympic-level performance. According to Speed, he already possesses the speed and would only need to refine his technique with about a year of preparation.
Lyles responded to these bold claims with a pointed remark, quoting Thanos from Avengers: Endgame: “You couldn’t live with your own failure. Where did that bring you? Back to me.” His comment underscored his confidence as the reigning champion.
The conversation also touched on another potential challenger for Lyles, NFL star Tyreek Hill. Speed suggested that Hill might have an advantage in a shorter race, like a 40m dash, but conceded that Lyles would dominate over longer distances. Speed even criticized Lyles’ early acceleration, calling it comparatively slow, and implied that Hill could pose a serious threat at shorter distances.
Despite Speed’s enthusiasm, the world was reminded of Lyles’ exceptional talent. The sprinter recently concluded his successful season and was spotted enjoying the spectacle of Formula 1 at the Las Vegas Grand Prix. Lyles compared himself to the speed of the F1 cars, humorously captioning an Instagram post, “Speed meets Speed,” which some interpreted as a subtle nod to his rivalry with the YouTuber.
The initial 50m race, hosted by MrBeast in Florida, offered a $100,000 cash prize to the winner. Although Speed initially appeared to lead, Lyles surged ahead in the final stretch, showcasing his elite sprinting prowess. If a rematch takes place, it remains to be seen whether Speed’s confidence and potential training will be enough to close the gap against the reigning Olympic champion.