The face of U.S. men's track and field reminds us all that this is still the case.
Noah Lyles is the overwhelming favourite to win the 200-meter race at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris (he even has a shot at breaking the world record), and he's also very likely to medal in the 100 meters.
The 27-year-old Gainesville, Florida, native has yet to take home Olympic gold (he took bronze in the 200 meters in 2021), but he swept the world championships recently and became a force to be reckoned with.
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Noah Lyles celebrates after winning silver in the men's 60m final during day one of the 2024 World Athletics Indoor Championships at the Emirates Arena in Glasgow, Scotland, March 1. (Sam Barnes/Sportsfile via Getty Images)
Lyles has taken home six world championship golds, including three last year in Budapest (100m, 200m and 4x100m relay). She is understandably confident of what she can do in Paris.
So before she set off on Team USA's boat for the opening ceremony, she put one word on her nails: “ICON.”
Lyles sparked controversy last year when he joked that NBA champions can't call themselves “world champions,” but despite receiving criticism, he stood firm on his stance.
Now, she is trying to make history and hopefully win four gold medals, having also entered the race for the 4x400m relay, in which she won silver at the World Indoor Athletics Championships in March.
Noah Lyles of Team USA competes in the men's 60m heats on day one of the 2024 World Athletics Indoor Championships at the Emirates Arena in Glasgow, Scotland on March 1. (Michael Steele/Getty Images)
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“When you want to talk about being the best, that's what you have to achieve. That's why I announced that that's one of my goals to accomplish; why not do it on the biggest stage, the Olympics?” Lyles told Fox News Digital earlier this year.
However, the aforementioned world record in the 200 meters is his “dream goal.”
“It's the first world record that I set out to be like, 'I want this to be mine,'” Lyles said. “I'm still learning the 100 meters, but the 200 meters is my favorite event and it's the time I've put the most effort into. So when I look at it, I'm like, 'Yeah, that's the first world record I want this to be mine.'”
Noah Lyles competes in the men's 200-meter semifinal during the 2024 U.S. Olympic track and field team trials in Eugene, Oregon, on June 28. (Patrick Smith/Getty Images)
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Usain Bolt, the current record holder, ran 19.19 seconds at the 2009 World Championships in Berlin. Lyles' current personal best is 19.31 seconds, the third fastest ever and the current U.S. record.
Last week he ran the 100 meters with a personal record time of 9.81 seconds in a Diamond League tournament.
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