Reigning world champion Noah Lyles asserted his tag of being the best with a gold medal triumph in the men's 100m race at the Paris Olympics 2024 with a 9.79 sec win on Sunday, August 4. (Medal Table | Schedule & Results | Full Coverage)
The American showman edged out Jamaica’s Kishane Thompson on Sunday by five-thousandths of a second — that’s .005 of one tick of the clock — in a race for the ages.
The first four racers were separated by less than .03. The top seven all finished within .09 of each other. America’s Fred Kerley came in third at 9.81.
Lyles also became the first American sprinter since Justin Gatlin in 2004 to win a gold medal in the men's 100m.
The 27-year-old sprinter has been through a lot in his life and the gold medal winner used his struggles as his motivation.
"I have Asthma, allergies, dyslexia, ADD, anxiety, and Depression. But I will tell you that what you have does not define what you can become. Why Not You!" Lyles posted on Sunday evening (early Monday morning in Paris).
When the result was official, he had seven words: "America, I told you, I got this!"
The gold medallist isn't shy of speaking his mind in front of the camera. Here are some of his top 5 quotes -
1) "Goodness, Gracious, I'm Incredible"
100m gold medallist Noah Lyles just could hide his emotions as he sprinted his way to glory at the 100m men's race at the ongoing Paris Olympics 2024. After clinching a photo-finish victory, Lyles gave this interesting quote to the press. He said, "I was prepared to see his name pop up,” Lyles said. “I saw my name pop up and I said, ‘Goodness gracious, I’m incredible’. It’s the one I wanted. It’s the hard battle, the amazing opponents, everybody was healthy and came to fight. I’m the wolf among wolves.”
2) "Why You Being So Modest, Man?"
Ahead of the Diamond League 2023 in London, Noah Lyles including fellow sprinter Zharnel Hughes were answering the questions from the press. When Hughes was asked whether he wished to break the British 200m record in London, he gave a diplomatic answer. Lyles took note and sneaked saying that he was being 'modest'.
3) "Oh! It's Bolt"
Noah Lyles, who had just been crowned the 200m Diamond League champion last year, described his meeting about the Jamaica's finest, Usain Bolt. Speaking to the press, Lyles recalled what he uttered upon seeing the legendary sprinter. He said, "I was like: who's this guy walking in front of me? Oh, it's Bolt!"
4) "World Champion Of What? The United States?”
Noah Lyles had a brilliant outing at the World Athletics Championships 2023 wherein he won gold in the 100m, 200m and 4x100m relay. However, the sprinter had a word or two say about NBA post-victory. “I watch the NBA finals and they have ‘world champion’ on their head. World champion of what? The United States?” Lyles said.
“Don’t get me wrong. I love the US – at times – but that ain’t the world.” He compared the NBA to track and field where “we have almost every country out here fighting, thriving, putting on their flag”.
5) "I'm Unlimited"
Noah Lyles may have won the 100m men's race but the 27-year-old sprinter isn't short of giving his mind to the press. Ahead of World Athletics Championships in Budapest, Lyles said that he was confident of clinching the 200m title.
He said, "The 100, I believe I should have been the one to win," he said after his victory in the first individual sprint event at Budapest. "The 200, I know that it's mine."
But then came the biggest of them all! When asked about his plans to dominate the world (in athletics), the sprinter just replied, "I'm unlimited!"
