Michael Johnson hails Noah Lyles, Sha'Carri Richardson, Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone for bringing track in US mainstream media

Legendary athlete Michael Johnson recently praised Noah Lyles, Sha’Carri Richardson, and Sydney McLaughlin for their incredible contribution to popularizing track and field sports.

Johnson has frequently spoken about ways to increase track and field's popularity in the mainstream media. He believes that the sport can only flourish if it is marketed through today’s trends and entertainment strategies. In an interview with Athletics Weekly, Johnson also mentioned changing the format of the races to make them more interesting to the fans.

Recently, the four-time Olympic gold medallist praised athletes Noah Lyles, Sha’Carri Richardson, and Sydney McLaughlin for taking the onus to popularize track and field in the mainstream media. In his X (formerly known as Twitter) handle, he wrote:

"I cannot recall a time when more track athletes successfully transcended the sport into US mainstream media coverage. Noah, Sha’Carri, and Sydney have all succeeded in unique and different ways."

In the last few years, the aformentioned athletes have broken long-standing records to become household names in track and field sports. Noah Lyles became the only athlete after the legendary Usain Bolt to win three gold medals in one single World Championship. He attracted the world’s attention by expressing his eagerness to beat Bolt’s record in Budapest in August. However, he settled for 9.83s in the 100m race.

Sha’Carri Richardson also created history by winning the gold medal in the women’s 100m race on her debut at the 2023 World Athletics Championships.

Moreover, her colorful hair, electrifying personality, and willingness to unapologetically share her opinions made her stand out in the media. Journalist Matt Lawton of the London Times described Richardson as the exact thing the sport needed to capture new audiences.

Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone at 2023 USATF Outdoor Championships

Two-time Olympic gold medallist Sydney McLauglin-Levrone has been dominating the 400m hurdles race by setting world records with her own timings. She first broke Dalilah Muhammad’s world record timing by clocking 51.90s at the 2021 World Athletics Championships. At the 2022 World Championships, McLaughlin-Levrone clocked 50.68s, which still stands as a world record.

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Noah Lyles on how track and field can be popularized more

Noah Lyles at Day 8 - World Athletics Championships Budapest 2023

Olympic bronze medalist Noah Lyles discussed the aspects blocking the popularity of track and field in an Instagram Q&A session in September.

He answered his fan’s questions on track and field, writing

"This is a great question. The thing is I believe influencers can be a big key to helping the new wave of track and field. Unfortunately, they just don’t have as many resources."

Lyles continued:

"Personal If I find someone I believe is doing a great job I try and aid them as much as possible because together we can tell stories to new demographics and people who might not watch our sport."

Lyles believed that creating awareness about the lives and background of athletes, track and field can gain more attention in the media.