Deji’s Doodles: Lyles and Holloway light up Boston with big performances, Wilson shows his precociousness as Hoey upset favourites

Deji’s Doodles: Lyles and Holloway light up Boston with big performances, Wilson shows his precociousness as Hoey upset favourites

It only takes one meet to get things underway and we got that last week. Now the big boys have begun flexing their muscles with their star attraction. Noah Lyles, Julien Alfred, Grant Holloway and many more all put up a show for the Boston crowd.

Here are some of the talking points from the weekend action.

Noah Lyles ends his indoor season in style

You can’t be a fan of modern day sport and say you haven’t heard about Noah Lyles. The sprinter has made sure he brings life to his races anytime he gets on the track to run. In recent times, it has even evolved to promoting athletics and finding ways to create narratives and storylines that resonate with the casual fan.

For the latter to be feasible he needs to be able to win. And he sure does it in style. His latest win came indoors at the New Balance Indoor when he didn’t have to break sweat to win in 6.52s. It was the first matchup between the last two Olympic Champions in a race since Usain Bolt and Justin Galtin met up over a decade ago. This time, Marcell Jacobs, who won the world indoor title in Belgrade in 2022 wasn’t; a match for Lyles, who seems to be brushing aside his rivals with relative ease.

Lyles had a message for the sport: it needs more excitement. He suggested giving winners a championship belt, something tangible that would bring drama and give sprinters a reason to return each year.

For Lyles, it’s no longer just about gold medals. He’ll run the World Championships this summer because it’s the biggest event in track and field. But he hasn’t committed to Grand Slam Track—not until there’s a TV deal in place. And he’s skipping World Indoors this year to focus on other ventures.

Maybe that includes a match race with NFL star Tyreek Hill. After crossing the line Saturday, Lyles ripped off his bib to reveal a hidden message: “Tyreek could never.” It’s moments like this that make Lyles different. He’s chasing more than fast times—he’s chasing mainstream attention.

Grant Holloway goes through the motions in Boston

Grant Holloway does not lose indoors. Not in the 60m hurdles. Not for 11 years.

On Saturday, he kept that streak alive at the New Balance Indoor Grand Prix, winning his fourth straight title in 7.42 seconds. He made it look easy, just as he always does. Holloway is…