Photo: Getty Images
NFL star Tyreek Hill and Olympic sprinter Noah Lyles are finally set to race each other after months of trash talk over who's faster.
In a joint interview with PEOPLE, Hill, known for his speed as a receiver for the Miami Dolphins, and Lyles, the reigning Olympic gold medalist in the 100-meter, shared that they officially agreed to race after exchanging a series of public jabs at one another.
"This has been an ongoing thing for, quite some time now, and I mean, everybody's seen the back and forth on social media," Hill told PEOPLE. "I've been very adamant to show people what real, true speed looks like."
Amid the 2024 Paris Olympics, Hill claimed he could beat Lyles in a race. Lyles hit back at Hill's comment earlier this month, sporting a sign that read "Tyreek could never" after earning his fourth consecutive win in the 60m final at the New Balance Indoor Grand Prix.
"I think it speaks for itself," Lyles said of the sign. "Everybody says that they're gonna be the world's fastest, but when it comes down to it, you gotta be the winner every time, each and every time, and every time I show up to the biggest moments, I win."
"That's why I'm the world's fastest," the Olympian continued. "I did at the Olympics. I do it at world championships. I do it wherever it's needed to be done. And if I gotta go down and, you know, beat up on Tyreek to prove that I'm the world's fastest, then it's gonna be done."
Hill said he has "a lot of respect" for Lyles, but he feels he's "got to do this for the guys that play my sport" to showcase that NFL athletes "did run track at some point, and we can come and take over your sport at any moment if we really wanted to."
The race is set to happen in the spring or summer ahead of Lyles' appearance in the U.S. Championship in July.
When asked about the race's distance, Hill quipped that Lyles was "scared" to compete against him in a 40-meter dash.
"He already knew he was gonna lose that off the jump," Hill said.
"I did that not to embarrass you," Lyles responded. "I mean if it was 100 meters, it'd be a blowout, you know, we gotta meet in the middle."
"Hold on, hold on, blowout?!" the NFL star hit back. "The only thing, the only thing that looks like it's blowing out is your hair, so you need to chill."
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