Noah Lyles is a six-time world champion in the 200m and 400m. In 2023, he became the first man since 2015 to complete the sprint treble at the World Championships. Lyles won the 100m, 200m, and the 4 by 100m.
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He’s also won medals in high-profile competitions like the Diamond League, Youth Olympic Games, World Relays, and the Olympics. The sprinter is a big talker and isn’t shy to let the world know that he’s aiming to be the best in the sport. Learn more about Lyles below.
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Noah Lyles Young Career
Lyles got the sprinting genes from his parents, who were track & field athletes. Initially, he was a gymnast but then switched to the track. In high school, he competed in track and did the high jump. On the track, Lyles won multiple events:
- The 200m at the New Balance Nationals Indoor.
- The 100m and 200m Arcadia Invitational.
- The 100m at the USA Junior Championships.
Before becoming professional, Lyles competed in the Olympic Trials in the 100m and 200m but failed to book a ticket to Rio. Instead, he made it to the U20 World Championships and won gold in the 100m and the 4 by 100m.
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Turning Professional
Unlike many athletes who go through the college system before launching their professional careers, in 2016, Lyles bypassed college and turned pro.
The Washington Post reported it was a joint decision between him, his brother, and his family. “We debated it and agreed that we’ll either become professional or go to college.”
His eight-year contract with Adidas played a key role in his decision. The sports giant paid for their education so they could juggle both.
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Professional Career
The American sprinter moved to Florida and came under the tutelage of sprinting coach Lance Brauman. Noah Lyles began his career on a high.
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In his first senior competition in 2017, Lyles won the 300m at the USA Indoor Championships in Mexico. He also won a medal in the Diamond League and a silver medal with the American team at the World Relays.
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2018
The following year, Lyles started his outdoor season with a victory in the 200m at the Diamond League in Doha in a time of 19.83 seconds. He improved this time to 18.69 seconds at the Eugene meet and matched the world-leading time set by Clarence Munyai.
When the USA Championships came around, he was ready to write more records. The sprinter clocked 9.89 seconds in the 100m and equalled the world-leading time in the semi-finals.
In the finals, he beat competitor Ronnie Baker and set a new world-leading time of 9.88 seconds. He didn’t hold the record for long as Ronnie Baker and Christian Coleman ran 9.87 and 9.79 seconds, respectively. That said, Noah Lyles was the youngest winner of the 100m in the event since Sam Gaddy in 1984.
2019 to 2023
More records followed. He set another world lead time of 9.86 in the 100m. He then equalled a 40-year record set at the Pietro Mennea Golden Gala, finishing the 200m in 19.72 seconds.
In the same year, Lyles became the fourth fastest man on earth after his personal best improved to 19.50 seconds. At the World Championships in Doha, the American won the 200m and the 4 by 100 meters.
The sprinter hasn’t replicated his success at the Olympics. He won a bronze medal at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.
At the 2022 World Championships, he clinched a gold medal in the 200m, running 19.31 seconds and breaking Michael Johnson’s 19.32 seconds. At the 2023 World Championships, Noah Lyles won the 200m, 100m, and the 4 by 100m.
Bullish Noah Lyles
You might think he’s arrogant for stating that he’s the fastest man in the world and’ll beat Usain Bolt’s record. So far, he’s broken a couple of records and insists that he can make this happen. His goal is the subject of a documentary called “Untitled: The Noah Lyles Project.”
For all the talk he’s done, Noah Lyles has to back himself up on the track. That said, what he’s accomplished so far in his career will put no doubt in many people’s minds.
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