Being weighed down by medals is welcome for Noah Lyles – now free of COVID-19, finally able to celebrate being the world’s fastest man while addressing a bigger mission to unite the US.
“I’m not gonna lie. They’re pretty heavy,” the American sprint sensation told Sky News. “It’s a good thing I work out my neck at times too.”
Especially as he won’t want to remove the 100m gold and 200m bronze won in Paris for some time.
But it is about more than just winning. Just look at the sprint on to the track, flamboyant and energetic before both finals at the Stade de France.
“I try to be a showman – some people criticise me for it, some people love it,” Lyles said.
“They’re watching because they want to see who’s going to be the fastest. And that’s what I want to bring. I want to bring entertainment to it.
“I know that just because I win it doesn’t mean that I’ll gain fans. I need to keep going.
“I want track and field to be known for, not just it’s a fast race. I want you to enjoy the whole spectacle of it, the entertainment part of it.”
Noah Lyles wins the 100m in Paris. Pic: Reuters
Among those entertained was Joe Biden in the White House.
“I got a call from the president a few days ago – he told me I bring hope to him,” Lyles said.
“As a runner, I don’t usually see myself as somebody who’s trying to bring the country together. I’m just trying to put on a show.
“But in doing so, sometimes that’s all people need. All they need is a little bit of excitement, a little bit of hope, and all of a sudden they’re willing to say, maybe we looked at it differently and if I can be that, then I’m blessed to be able to be that person.”
Noah Lyles receiving medical attention after the 200m final. Pic: AP
It is a message of unity in a fraught US election year with Lyles’s depression worsening after the police murder of George Floyd in 2020.
“There’s always going to be downs… and to be honest, I’m always hurting,” Lyles said.
“I feel for black people in the world and, of course, if I can be a ray of sunshine, if I could be an inspiration, if I could reason to say let’s stop fighting, let’s keep going, then I’m blessed for that.
“And if I can change one outlook, that’s more than one that was yesterday.”
And inspiring through success is part of the mission for Lyles while dealing with mental health challenges.
“This gold medal and this bronze medal, they’re very nice to have,” he said.
“But that doesn’t mean that my issues in life stop. I’m still going to be facing hurdles all throughout my life, and I’m very aware of it.
“But I’m always nice and blessed to know that I’ve faced those hardships early, and I’ve been able to learn the lessons quickly.
“So I feel that no matter what I go through in life, I’ll be able to continuously adapt and overcome any obstacles that I have.”
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Lyles is on a rooftop Paris base for shoe backer Adidas, framed by the Eiffel Tower, giving his first interview since being declared free of COVID-19 at the Olympics.
It was his collapse on the track after the 200m final on Thursday that sparked panic in Paris and beyond – only revealing his test result after the race in which he still managed to finish third.
“It’s funny,” he said. “The joke right now is whenever I’m off my game, I always run 19.7 which is apparently fast enough to always get bronze.”
And that bronze is now round his neck, along with 100m gold.
American sprinter Noah Lyles after the 200m final. Pic: Reuters
“When I tried to actually stand up, I started laying back down because the fatigue and the energy was just fading pretty rapidly,” Lyles said.
“But after quite a bit of time I was able to recompose myself. I was able to get some medication, so I was able to breathe again.”
There was nothing stopping Lyles from running while infected – far removed from the heavy protocols in place for the Tokyo Games at the height of the pandemic – but he still wanted to be as “respectful as possible”.
He said: “I didn’t want to get anybody COVID-19. I’ve thankfully tested negative this morning, so I’m very happy to be healthy again, but still slowly kind of taking it back.”
Slowing down isn’t usually Lyles’s style. Just look at how he sprinted on the track – even before the 100m final that ended with him taking gold after a comparatively sluggish start.
“The funny thing is I’m a numbers guy, so I’m looking at the numbers compared to all my normal starts,” he said.
“It’s actually just as good, if not better than my normal starts. But the competitors really stepped up their game in the first half of their race.”
A race that ended up being the closest ever in an Olympic 100m final – won by just five thousandths of a second.
“Blink and you’ll miss it,” he said. “I didn’t feel I was going to be caught. I felt that I was just constantly running. I was just constantly getting faster and faster.”
A photo finish showing his torso just edging past Jamaican rival Kishane Thompson.
“As I got closer and closer to the line, I was just like – I need to lean like this,” he said. “If I didn’t, I don’t know if I would have won.”
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Now his sights are set on his home Olympics in Los Angeles in 2028.
He said: “The story is definitely going to be turning the bronze into gold. I never thought I’d have the 100m gold before the 200m gold. And although it might not be as shiny and as luxurious as the 100, it’s still something I won. And I am an Olympic champion.”
And for emphasis, he made it clear: “I am officially the world’s fastest man.”
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