The recently-crowned Olympic champion in the 100 meters has revealed plans to start competing in the 400m full time.

American sprint sensation Noah Lyles has unveiled an ambitious plan to take on the 400m event full-time, with the ultimate goal of smashing the world record. The reigning Olympic and world champion in the 100 meters, Lyles has long expressed a desire to compete in the 400m, and he now appears ready to make that leap.

Lyles’ plans were temporarily halted when a bout of COVID-19 prevented him from joining the US 4x400m relay team at the recently concluded Paris 2024 Olympic Games.

However, this setback hasn’t diminished his determination. Lyles has shown a knack for excelling in events outside his specialization, having successfully transitioned from the 200m to the 100m, where he now holds both Olympic and world titles.

Despite his dominance in the 200 meters, with three world titles to his name, Lyles has yet to capture Olympic gold in the event, having settled for back-to-back bronze medals at the Games.

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With an eye on redemption in 2028, Lyles is also setting his sights on the 400m, aiming to not only compete but to challenge the world record set by South Africa’s Wayde van Niekerk in 2016, a blistering 43.03 seconds.

Speaking on his plans, Lyles revealed his determination to make history in the 400m, drawing on his past experience and current training regimen.

“I haven’t run an open 400 since high school, and I think I ran like 47.4, but I have run 44 and 45 splits multiple times,” Lyles said.

“Jerrem Richards and I train together. He is a 19.8 200m runner, and he decided he was going to focus on the 400m this year. He was in those finals and got fourth with 43.7, a new national record for Trinidad and Tobago. I believe it is in the top ten fastest times.”

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Lyles, whose personal record in the 200m is an impressive 19.3 seconds, is confident that with full dedication to the 400m, he can push the boundaries of the sport even further.

“I really want to take a shot at the world record if I decide to move to the 400 truly and give it my 100 percent for multiple years,” he shared.

“My brain understands it, but my body doesn’t know the difference. Why would it think it is a hard time? My body does not know that that is hard. If I keep telling it to get faster and faster, it is going to try and adapt, so it is going to keep moving towards that time.”

With support from fellow American athlete Quincy Hall, the current Olympic champion in the 400m, Lyles is poised to make a significant impact should he decide to pursue the event full-time. Hall has already backed Lyles to do well in the 400m, given his exceptional speed and versatility.

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As Lyles prepares for the next phase of his career, his potential entry into the 400m promises to be one of the most exciting developments in the world of athletics. Whether he can break the records set by van Niekerk and Usain Bolt remains to be seen.