He is one of the announced stars of the Paris Olympic Games, and Noah Lyles intends to take advantage of these Games to fully assume his status as the new world star of athletics. An outstanding sprinter, a big fan of Usain Bolt, the American is aiming for four Olympic titles at the Stade de France, notably the 100 meters, the main distance.
When he’s on the track, he’s often the only one we see, so when Noah Lyles pulled out of the Monaco meeting on July 12, he disappointed a lot of people, starting with Frenchman Ryan Zeze: ” It’s true, I never raced against him. Unfortunately, he wasn’t there, that’s how it is, that’s the game. » Ryan Zeze is motivated: “ He is the world champion, so we always want to face the strongest. ! »
World champion in the 100 and 200 metres in Budapest last year, Lyles has amazed even his fiercest rivals. Botswana’s Letsile Tebogohis runner-up in the main distance last year, prefers to see it as a source of motivation: “ I can’t comment too much on his absence. I just know that he will always impress me, although that won’t stop me from trying to beat him. “In Budapest, Tebogo had called Noah Lyles a genius: ” We can’t really talk about rivals. On the track, I only have friends, that’s how you can define us. »
Noah Lyles, an athlete who still has room for improvement, but who already has six world champion titles.
Noah Lyles, a man with an outgoing personality
A die-hard fan of Usain Bolt, for the athlete, everything is a spectacle: he does not hesitate to make fun of his opponents and, off the track, he claims to be an artist, he draws and he raps.
It’s no coincidence that Netflix has made him one of the heroes of its brand new series on sprinting. Téo Andant is a 400-meter specialist and a big fan of the character: ” I think it elevates athleticism. I think trying to “NBArize” athleticism a little bit is not bad. It catches the eye so it’s cool. »
In London, for the last meeting before the GamesLyles ran this time in 9 seconds and 81 hundredths, his personal best that allows him to dream only of Olympic titles. The Floridian relies on faith, but at 27, he has never been faster: “ That’s why I pray, for this kind of moment, to be number one and not think about anything else. Believe me, I’ll be there in Paris, for this moment to happen. »
Read alsoAthletics: Lyles in charge in London, just before the Games
From asthmatic and depressed child to world champion
The pressure of the Games seems to galvanize Noah Lyles and if he triumphs in Paris, it would be a great revenge on life: at six years old, he was an asthmatic child who was hospitalized one after the other. Dyslexic, he also experienced several depressive episodes that he spoke about in a documentary produced by American television.
Last year, in Budapest, he fully assumed his weaknesses: “ I want people watching the documentary to be able to say, ‘Oh Noah Lyles, he’s cool in real life, not just on the track. He can be an inspiration… He’s not just a fast guy, he’s got a great personality too!” »
We will have to watch his entrances on the track of the Stade de France, where he could win four Olympic titles. If he succeeds in his bet, Noah will enter the legend of his sport and will be the worthy successor to Usain Bolt.
Read also2024 Olympics: Sprinting runs through Jamaica’s veins