Noah Lyles knows how to back up his words.
The 27-year-old sprinter became the first American to win gold in the men's 100 meters since Justin Gatlin in 2004.
Lyles took victory in an epic photo finish, winning by five thousandths of a second. It was his first Olympic gold.
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Noah Lyles of Team USA celebrates winning the gold medal after competing in the men's 100m final at the Paris Olympics on August 4, 2024. (Hannah Peters/Getty Images)
Lyles is best known for his colorful personality and wearing his emotions on his sleeve; before the opening ceremony, he wrote “ICON” on his nails (again, speaking and acting).
But what most people don't know is the struggles he's been through, and he used that as motivation for, well, anyone who needs it.
“I have asthma, allergies, dyslexia, ADHD, anxiety and depression but I will tell you that what you have does not define what you can become. Why not you?” Lyles wrote on Sunday afternoon (early Monday morning in Paris).
Lyles crossed the finish line in a personal best of 9.79784 seconds. When the result was official, he uttered seven words: “America, I told you, I did it!” Surprisingly, he tied for the worst reaction time, and even finished last at the 40-meter mark.
It was the fifth gold medal won by the Americans on Sunday (golfer Scottie Scheffler, cyclist Kristen Faulkner, swimmer Bobby Finke and the women's 4×100 medley relay team).
Noah Lyles of Team USA competes in the men's 100m final at the Paris Olympics on August 4, 2024. (Hector Vivas/Getty Images)
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Lyles now turns his attention to the 200 meters (he says his “dream goal” is to break Usain Bolt's world record of 19.19) and the 4×100 meter relay.
Track and field legend Carl Lewis He recently told Fox News Digital that the sport “needs” Lyles to dominate these games.
“I think the sport needs someone like him, who is a champion. He's the defending champion, the fastest man in the world right now, and we need someone to hold on to. I think he's the perfect guy to do it, and I'm excited about that,” Lewis told Fox News Digital in a recent interview.
Noah Lyles of Team USA celebrates winning the gold medal after competing in the men's 100m final at the Paris Olympics on August 4, 2024. (Patrick Smith/Getty Images)
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“I think athletics works best when we have a superstar. So I think if Noah were to win, it would also raise the level of the sport. Instead of saying, 'I wonder who's going to win,' people would rather say, 'I love him,' or 'I don't love him.' They want to root for someone or root for someone against someone. I think it creates more intensity when you have someone who's dominant, and that's happened throughout history… People have really been drawn to the sport when people were really more dominant.”
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