Noah Lyles, the favourite to win gold in the men’s 100 metres and 200 metres, is also the biggest showman in track and field.
The 26-year-old made a spectacular entry into the 100 metres final at the US Olympic trials in Eugene, Oregon, in June, running into the stadium wearing a pearl necklace and a red tracksuit as Queen’s “We Will Rock You” blared from the Hayward Field speakers.
His fellow runners stood silent while he waved his hands and jumped into the air. He worked the crowd.
Less than 10 seconds later, it was all over. Lyles streaked to the finish line with a personal-best time of 9.83 seconds to secure a berth in the Paris Olympics.
NOAH LYLES DELIVERED 📨
In the final Diamond League meet before the Paris Olympics, he runs a personal best time of 9.81 in the men’s 100m. #LondonDL pic.twitter.com/5l7sXTROfQ
— NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) July 20, 2024
In Paris on a mission
He is in Paris on a mission to win four gold medals — one more than the legendary Jamaican star Usain Bolt ever did in a single Olympics. (Bolt won eight Olympic golds — two in the 2008 Beijing Games and three each in 2012 London Games and 2016 Rio de Janeiro Games.)
Lyles wasn’t always a colourful superstar. He has spoken about his attention deficit disorder and dyslexia as a kid.
However, he has been winning accolades on the track ever since he came first in the 200 metres at the 2014 Youth Olympics in Nanjing, China.
There has been a bad spell, too.
He came first in the 200 metres and shared first place also in the 4×100 metres relay at the 2019 World Championships in Doha, Qatar.
But then came Covid, when he fell into a deep depression.
Tokyo and after
He wasn’t at his best at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, delayed by a year and held in 2021 because of the pandemic.
In Tokyo, his knee swelled up just before the 200-metre race. He finished behind Canadian Andre De Grasse and fellow American Kenny Bednarek to take the bronze.
That third-place finish in Tokyo lit a fire in him, he said, and made him what he is today.
“In Tokyo, I felt like I had blown a huge opportunity,” he told NBC News. “The more I look back at it, the more I’m like, ‘Wow, if I never had that moment happen, I never would have produced what I have done up until now.’”
Winning spree
After Tokyo, Lyles has been on a winning spree.
At the 2022 World Championships, he broke Michael Johnson’s 26-year American record in the 200-metre with a time of 19.31. He then claimed gold at the 2023 World Championships (19.52) and shattered the US Olympic trials record in 2024 (19.53).
Lyles also took first place in the 100 metres at the 2023 World Championships (9.83 seconds) and Olympic trials (9.83 seconds).
“I don’t feel the pressure because I’m just having fun,” Lyles said. “All I gotta do is be me.”