US sprinter Noah Lyles has come to the defense of his girlfriend, Junelle Bromfield, following intense criticism from Jamaican fans on social media concerning her performance at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Once seen as a strong medal contender for Jamaica, Bromfield faced a disappointing finish at the Olympics, leading to a wave of backlash from her home country’s fans.
In response, Lyles publicly expressed his support for Bromfield, emphasizing his love and respect for the two-time Olympian. He took to X (formerly Twitter), saying: “I just want to say how incredibly proud I am of my GF and give her the flowers she deserves now 💐. She has been through so much in her life that I could never imagine fighting through. Beyond that, she is a survivor, 2x Olympian, Olympic medalist, multi-world championship medalist, and has been representing Jamaica on the world stage since she was 8 years old. 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.”
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I just want to say how incredibly proud I am of my GF and give her the flowers she deserves now 💐. She has been through so much in her life that I could never imagine fighting through. Beyond that she is a survivor, 2x Olympian, Olympic medalists, Multi world championship… pic.twitter.com/ReCjGY9W01
— Noah Lyles, OLY (@LylesNoah) August 17, 2024
Jamaican fans’ frustrations were exacerbated when their men’s 100m favorite, Kishane Thompson, narrowly lost the gold medal to Lyles by just five-thousandths of a second, settling for silver. Bromfield, too, fell short of expectations, missing out on the women’s 400m final and subsequently being labeled a “traitor” by some disgruntled fans.
Despite the criticism, Lyles praised Bromfield’s resilience, stating that she remains an incredible athlete undeserving of the negativity directed at her. He highlighted her focus and dedication, describing them as qualities that will help her continue to succeed despite the adversity.
“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 knowing that God will always make a way. That’s why God keeps blessing her!” Lyles added.
Lyles’ words have rallied further support for Bromfield, with other athletes joining in to back her as she sets her sights on future championships representing Jamaica.
