PARIS: Noah Lyles will be looking to banish Tokyo's demons as he continues his efforts to fill the void left by Usain Bolt as he takes to the track at the Paris Olympics.
Lyles took a big step toward that dream last year when she won a triple crown (100m, 200m, 4x100m relay) at the World Championships in Budapest.
That prompted World Athletics president Sebastian Coe to call Lyles an “absolute rock star” after he renewed his contract with Adidas this season, the biggest deal since Bolt's re-signing with Puma.
The dreadlocked rapper is less a rock star and more a 27-year-old American whose activities in the Hungarian capital are featured in the Netflix documentary series 'Sprint.'
The song brought attention to the confident Lyles, who seemed ready to bring the track back into the public consciousness, and his boldness was evident in the quotable line:
“You have to have an icon mentality,” Lyles said of becoming a top sprinter in “Sprint.”
“I truly believe that the moment is not bigger than me. The moment was made for me.”
While many experts argue that such views are not uncommon among elite athletes, there is no doubt that his brazen approach has offended many, especially since it has questioned Lyles’ claim to being a true “world champion.”
Either way, the cameras will be back on Lyles as she looks to improve on her bronze medal performance in the 200m at the Tokyo Olympics.
“That bronze medal still burns a hole in my heart,” Lyles said after winning the 100m in a personal best of 9.81 seconds in a slight headwind at the London Diamond League last weekend.
“I'm going to carry this color with me in Paris, to remind me that this is not the color we're going to bring back.”
But Lyles' victory in London has lifted his spirits and he has no fear of Jamaica's Kishane Thompson, who was voted the fastest man of the year after clocking 9.77 seconds in Kingston last month.
“I've won over everyone I've touched,” he said. “I don't know why Jamaicans would be any different. This is what I pray for, this is what I live for, and I stand up for myself, right?”
“I know exactly where I am ahead of Paris,” said Lyles, who suffered from chronic asthma as a child.
“The more eyes on me, the better I perform. At least that's what my therapist says. When there are TV cameras on me and people are there, I don't give in.”
The American still hopes to complete his daring attempt to win medals in four events in Paris, and would also like to add the 4x400m relay to his collection of events.
He surprised the world by winning silver in the 60m behind teammate Christian Coleman at the indoor track and field events in Glasgow in March, before being selected for the silver-winning 4x400m relay team.
It was a call that led to accusations of favoritism by the American League.
“A lot of people in America were very, very, very upset that I ran the 4×400, and I told them, 'Run faster, push me out!'” Lyles said.
Bolt retired from the sport in 2017 after winning 11 world championship gold medals and eight Olympic gold medals.
“Usain Bolt did it and said he respected what I was doing, which was really amazing,” said Lyles, who became the first person to achieve a sprint double in Budapest since Bolt did it at the 2015 World Championships in Beijing.
“I'm someone who wants to go beyond being famous on the track. I want people to see me on the track, but also see me in GQ and in my documentary series, and realize that I'm a cool guy, too.
“A medal is the first step. Then people will notice you.
“Then you can go in different directions, like fashion, music, you can start collaborating with other people, artists, and the world.”
Lyles will need to continue her good form at the Paris Olympics, the premier world championships for American audiences, as she will need to continue to medal to remain in the spotlight.
This was Bolt's strength and charm: his ability to dominate and win multiple gold medals at the World Championships.
The podium in Paris calls Lyles.
