In the realm of Olympic glory, where the spotlight can be as intense as the race itself, finding a partner who truly understands the challenges is no easy feat. However, track and field athletes Noah Lyles and Junelle Bromfield’s romance showcases how two stars in their own right can shine even brighter together.
The couple, who met through social media in 2017 and began dating in 2022, recently competed alongside each other in the 2024 Paris Olympics. Just as the two supported each other throughout their Olympic training, they stood by each other in light of social media scrutiny. Before even hitting the track, Lyles, who represented Team USA, sparked controversy after proclaiming himself “the fastest man in the world,” a comment that only fueled existing critiques of the sprinter’s perceived boastful and cocky attitude.
Case in point: In 2023, NBA fans side-eyed the Olympic sprinter for questioning why NBA finalists call themselves “world champions.”
“The thing that hurts me the most is I have to watch the NBA Finals and they have ‘world champion’ on their head,” he said at the time. “‘World champion’ of WHAT? The United States?”
While the public may have mixed feelings and opinions about Lyles’ persona, Bromfield reportedly is unfazed by what he describes as his “showman” attitude.
“Something that [Bromfield] says that truly makes me fall in love with her every time is, ‘I don’t really look at his personality on the track.’ That’s not the guy that she says she likes,” he told People magazine. “Every time she says that, I think I fall more in love with her because eventually, I’m not going to be a track and field runner. And if she got caught up in that personality, I think I would be a little sad because it is just for the track. That’s the energy that I give there but that’s not the energy that I give when I’m home, when we’re on dates, when we’re inspiring others.”
Just as Lyles has received criticism, Jamaican sprinter Bromfield has been facing her own battle with public criticism. Jamaicans have reportedly been harassing the Olympian on social media because of her relationship with Team USA’s 100-metre champion.
“I have been getting cyberbullied for weeks, and when it gets talked about I’m a liar,” Bromfield captioned a recent post, highlighting the hateful comments she’s received attacking her appearance. “I honestly thought we were past colorism in Jamaica, especially as [a] nation that is filled with Black people.”
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While Bromfield only broke her silence on the matter last Friday, Lyles publicly stood up for his girlfriend on social media on Aug. 17. In his own Instagram post, he gave the Jamaican athlete “the flowers she deserves,” for everything she has overcome.
“I just want to say how incredibly proud I am of my GF…she is a survivor, 2x Olympian, Olympic medalist, Multiworld championship medalist, and has been representing Jamaica on the world stage since she was 8 years old,” he wrote, expressing his admiration for Bromfield. “But the most impressive thing I’ve seen recently is how she’s dealt with the pure disrespect and hatred towards her from her own country. This woman has been attacked by people who have never met her, heard her name before, never seen her smile, or heard what she believes in. But she keeps moving forward.”
While some users saw the post as endearing, others blame Lyles for Bromfield’s cyberbullying because of comments he made during an appearance on the Track World News podcast in July. At the time, the Team USA sprinter revealed that he had “been getting the drama from the Jamaican camp [for] at least five years now,” which fans interpreted as Bromfield sharing confidential information with an opponent.
Regardless of any public perceptions of their relationship, the couple is not letting the noise get in the way of their love.
“And I know if I ever doubt myself, he will remind me how amazing I am,” Bromfield captioned a video of her boyfriend praising her in a news interview.
“We’re both Olympic medalists, we’re both two-time Olympians, we’ve been to multiple world championships together. And even though our journeys are different, we still are fighters and we have a lot of the same qualities,” he added, per People magazine. “I think that’s what attracts us to each other, to begin with. I feel that we don’t let our accolades really change the view of how we see each other.”
