KINGSTON, Jamaica – In a blistering feud that’s ripping athletics apart, sprint legend Usain Bolt unleashed a torrent of fury today, branding Olympic 100m champ Noah Lyles a “sexist bully” for his “disrespectful” mockery of transgender Paralympian Valentina Petrillo. “Are all Americans like this? How can he make such sexist remarks? He doesn’t deserve to be on the track anymore,” Bolt roared in a viral Instagram Live, his voice trembling with rage. The eight-time Olympic gold medalist demanded Lyles issue a groveling public apology to Petrillo – the trailblazing Italian visually impaired sprinter who made history as the first trans woman at the 2024 Paris Paralympics – and to “every brave trans athlete fighting for their spot.” Fans worldwide are reeling, with #BoltVsLyles and #ApologizeToValentina exploding on X, amassing 1.8 million posts in hours. “Usain’s right – this hate has no place in sport!” tweeted a supporter from Sydney.
The inferno ignited after Lyles, 28, dropped a bombshell during a heated podcast with Joe Rogan last week, scoffing at Petrillo’s Paralympic debut where she clocked a personal best 57.58s in the T12 400m semis but missed the final. “This whole trans thing in women’s sports? It’s a joke. Valentina who? Sounds like a bad rom-com villain stealing medals from real women,” Lyles sneered, doubling down on his past rants against “unfair advantages” in gender categories. Petrillo, 51, who transitioned in 2019 after competing as Fabrizio and battling Stargardt disease, has faced vicious backlash – from JK Rowling’s “cheat” barbs to Italian politicians’ bans – yet stood defiant: “I’m here for inclusion, not division.” Lyles’ comments, laced with what critics call transphobic tropes, drew immediate fire from LGBTQ+ advocates, who slammed him as “America’s arrogant outlier” amid his post-Paris glow-up, where he snagged 100m gold in 9.79s.
Bolt, 39, who once mentored Lyles with record-breaking tips, felt “betrayed” by the American’s “toxic ego.” “Noah’s fast, but speed means nothing without heart. Mocking Valentina? That’s not rivalry – that’s cruelty. Apologize now, or step off the track forever,” Bolt thundered, echoing his earlier shade at Lyles’ “Usain who?” quip. The Jamaican icon, whose 9.58s 100m record still looms untouchable, rallied allies: Michael Johnson tweeted, “Bolt’s spot on – Lyles’ words poison the sport.” Even Lyles’ rival Letsile Tebogo chimed in: “Respect all athletes, period.”
But in a jaw-dropping twist, Lyles fired back on X mere minutes after Bolt’s rant, dropping a seven-word dagger that silenced the sprint king and ignited global pandemonium: “Bolt’s records? Mine soon. Apology? Earn it first.” The curt clapback – clocking in at exactly seven words – left Bolt “speechless,” per insiders, as it twisted the knife on their simmering rivalry. Lyles, fresh off a 19.31s US 200m record, implied Bolt’s “outdated” views on trans inclusion make him irrelevant. “He’s the past; I’m the future,” Lyles later elaborated to TMZ, unfazed by calls for his World Athletics suspension.
The athletics world is fracturing: GLAAD demands investigations, while USA Track & Field tiptoes with a “dialogue” statement. Petrillo, emotional in a follow-up post, urged unity: “Hate hurts us all – let’s run together.” As hashtags trend from Tokyo to Toronto, one truth blazes: This isn’t just beef; it’s a reckoning for sprinting’s soul. Will Lyles cave, or has Bolt’s bolt from the blue doomed their legacies? The track awaits its verdict.
