Retired Olympic champion Dawn Harper-Nelson has come to the defense of Noah Lyles after American rapper Cameron Ezike Giles popularly known as Cam’ron, harshly criticized the reigning 100m Olympic champion for voicing frustrations over his lack of a signature Adidas shoe.
In a strongly worded statement, Harper-Nelson didn’t hold back through his Instagram Story.
“The disrespect keeps happening and it’s getting out of hand. I am over here losing it over his comments,” said the two-time Olympic medalist.
Dawn Harper-Nelson is a celebrated 100m hurdler. She won gold at the 2008 Beijing Olympics and silver at the 2012 London Games.
Noah Lyles recently appeared on the Cam Newton podcast. He revealed his frustrations with Adidas for not offering him a signature shoe. Despite being a six-time world champion and widely seen as the face of American sprinting, Lyles pointed out that athletes like NBA star Anthony Edwards have been given signature models while he has not.
“I said, ‘Anthony Edwards has a shoe,’ and I’m already a six-time world champion, and I’m prophesying that I’m going to be the Olympic champion,” Lyles said during the episode.
“They didn’t even want to have the conversation about it. I was frustrated. Still am.”
Cam’ron Responds Harshly
Cameron Ezike Giles took issue with Lyles’ complaints during an episode of It Is What It Is, the sports podcast he co-hosts.
“Who are you, homeboy? It ain’t our fault you chose this profession,” Cam’ron said.
“The casual fan is not watching until the Olympics. You’ve got 90 seconds every four years. What are you doing in between that?”
He continued by comparing Lyles unfavorably to more widely recognized athletes:
“Track and field is not the best sport in America… You ain’t Simone Biles. Every time your name is brought up, you’re just talking. You are not that marketable.”
Podcast contributor Trysta Krick chimed in. He stated Lyles “just likes talking” and implied that being vocal is not enough to earn privileges like a signature shoe.
The remarks did not sit well with Harper-Nelson, who defended the integrity and relevance of track and field athletes.
Lyles reportedly holds the richest Adidas contract in track and field since Usain Bolt’s retirement. Adidas has yet to design a signature shoe for him. Anthony Edwards, whose Adidas AE 1 has been flying off the shelves.
