After winning the gold medal in the 100m dash this past weekend, track superstar Noah Lyles earned the title of “fastest man in the world.”
However, sports radio host Maggie Gray isn’t ready to accept that claim just yet.
On a recent episode of Maggie & Perloff, Gray argued that Lyles doesn’t truly deserve to claim he’s the fastest man in the world since he “only” won the gold by five thousandths of a second. She contended that such a narrow victory calls for more humility.
“Can you really go around claiming ‘I’m the fastest. I’m the greatest. I’m this, that, and the other thing when you won by five hundredths of a second? This is not exactly Usain Bolt throwing up deuces like a peace sign to the guys behind him, like Tyreek Hill streaking into the endzone… There needs to be a little bit more humility when you win by five hundredths of a second,” Gray said.
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The response to Gray’s rhetorical question on social media has been a resounding “Yes, you can.”
“.005 is faster than all the other fastest in the world that you just competed against. So, yes, yes you can,” one user replied.
“Good point. The guys who finished right behind him might actually be the fastest. If only we had a way to compare them,” another joked sarcastically.
“He won. So yes,” a third said bluntly.
The backlash against Gray’s comments highlights the consensus that a win, no matter how narrow, is still a win. Lyles’ achievement remains a testament to his speed and skill.
Reflecting on the controversy, one might wonder: If people spent more of their energy solving real problems rather than justifying bad takes, how much could we achieve as a society?
