Matthew Hudson-Smith has disclosed that he ignored messages from Noah Lyles after the American athlete reached out to him prior to last night’s 400m event.
The Team GB athlete previously cohabited with the 100m Olympic champion and their brother Josephus in the United States, forming a strong bond that led to Hudson-Smith being referred to as the ‘third Lyles brother’.
On Wednesday night, Hudson-Smith came heartbreakingly close to securing Team GB’s inaugural gold medal in track and field at the Paris Olympics.
He surged ahead but was overtaken by an impressive late push from Quincy Hall, who clinched the gold medal for Lyles’ American team. Hudson-Smith was in tears after finishing just 0.04 seconds behind.
In an interview with Eurosport this morning, the 29-year-old British athlete shared his thoughts on his former housemate.
Matthew Hudson-Smith has revealed that he ghosted his former house-mate Noah Lyles
The Team GB star revealed that his former house-mate Lyles messaged him before Wednesday’s 400m final
Quincy Hall snuck past Hudson-Smith before the line to claim the gold medal for USA
Hudson-Smith was visibly emotional after the race as he hugged family members
When asked if he had received any messages from Lyles, he replied: ‘I’ll probably see him after this.’
‘He reached out beforehand, but honestly, I didn’t read it because my focus was entirely on the task at hand. I still haven’t found the time to check it.’
When reminded that it’s quite significant to ghost Lyles, he replied: ‘I know, man.’
Eurosport presenter Orla Chennaoui elaborated on the relationship between Hudson-Smith and Lyles, noting a quirky habit Hudson-Smith had during their time living together.
Chennaoui remarked: ‘We should clarify that Matthew used to be Noah Lyles’ roommate; you shared a home in America.’
‘He mentioned that one thing he picked up from living with you was that you never wiped your feet when leaving the bathroom, which often left the carpet outside quite wet. Have you learned to clean your feet yet, Matthew?’
Hudson-Smith laughed, saying: ‘Why is he exposing me, man? I could easily share stories about him, but no, he’s a global superstar; let’s keep some secrets.’
Before the 400m race on Wednesday, Lyles expressed that he was ‘rooting’ for Hudson-Smith to clinch the gold medal.
Hudson-Smith missed out on gold by just 0.04 seconds to Hall on Wednesday night
Olympic 100m champion Lyles lived with Hudson-Smith when the Team GB star moved to Florida, where they both trained under Lance Brauman
Hudson-Smith relocated to Florida in 2017 after realizing that he was becoming complacent while in England.
He moved to the U.S. to train with Lance Brauman, who in the same year began coaching an emerging talent in Lyles who was the 2016 U.S. junior champion.
Recounting how he ended up sharing a home with Lyles in Florida, he told the Press Association: ‘My brother and I purchased a house. He wasn’t keen on an apartment, so I suggested, ‘Why not stay with me and Josephus for a while? We have an extra room.’
‘He was on board right away! So he moved in with us. I learned a lot about Matt during that year. For instance, he hates to wipe his feet after using the bathroom, so that carpet always ends up wet, and he has a tendency to cut it super close when heading to practice.’
‘I also discovered that by the end of the day, he’s just a fun-loving guy who enjoys life. His favorite saying was ‘it is what it is’, which always made me wonder, ‘What does that mean, Matt?’
‘I’m laid-back too, but not to the point of having no direction. Meanwhile, he could disappear for hours, and I’d be like, ‘Where did you go?’ and he’d just say, ‘Oh! Just out for a walk.’
