How do you feel about Noah Lyles breaking your American record?
I was very happy for Noah Lyles to break my American record, as the world record is now held by a Jamaican. I was especially happy for him to defend his world championship and be a great ambassador for the sport. Transcript: "So how do you feel about Noah Lyles breaking your American record? It's interesting, because when you've been the world record holder, typically all the other ones just really don't have that much significance. Additionally, in the past, the world record and the American record were the same thing because it's been held, in most cases, by an American. So when I was the American record holder, I was also the world record holder. So my focus was always on the world records, and both of those have already been broken by Usain Bolt and Wayde van Niekerk, the 200 and 400 meters. So yeah, I didn't really think about it, but I was very happy for Noah because I know it's important for him because right now the world record is held by a Jamaican. So the American record then takes on more significance. And Noah's a great athlete, so I was very, very, very happy for him. More importantly, I was really happy for him to defend his world championship, especially after last year's Olympics not being able to win the Olympics, which I know was disappointing for him. And he's a great athlete and a great ambassador for the sport, so super happy for him."
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How do you feel about Noah Lyles breaking your American record?
I was very happy for Noah Lyles to break my American record, as the world record is now held by a Jamaican. I was especially happy for him to defend his world championship and be a great ambassador for the sport.
What is T&F’s biggest strength and its biggest weakness for positive long term growth?
Track and field's biggest strength is the variety of events, but this can also be a weakness as it makes it difficult to market the sport and appeal to a new fan base. It is important for the sport to carve out a professional identity, separate from its Olympic identity, in order for it to grow positively in the long-term.
Where do you see the limit in the 200m and 400m in 'what is humanly possible' over those distances?
The limits for 200 meters and 400 meters are unknown as progression in these events is slow and records are broken infrequently. Winning races is the main goal in track and field, with record-breaking being secondary.
What storylines, milestones, or narratives are you following right now in track and field?
I am following the competitive rivalries and races in track and field, like the men's and women's 400-meter hurdles, where world records have been broken, and the men's 100 meters, where Marcell Jacobs has emerged as the Olympic champion. It will be interesting to see if he can defend his title this year.
What separates track & field today from more successful professional leagues?
Track and field is a complex sport with many different events, making it difficult to promote and gain a following. Professional sports like tennis and golf have a well-defined criteria that fans understand, while track and field does not. To become more successful, the sport needs to be cleaned up and made more presentable from a television standpoint so that fans can better understand it.
In your opinion, how can track and field attract a younger viewing demographic?
Track and field needs to become more concise and easier to understand to attract a younger demographic. It should focus on creating a narrative instead of relying on times and distances that the average person doesn't really understand.