Noah Lyles is aiming at history in more ways than one.
The 26-year-old may just be the face of track and field, a title an American hasn’t held in quite some time. But after his three gold medals at the World Championships, he’s on the fast track to similar success in Paris.
Lyles was always slated for the 100-, 200- and 4×100-meter races this summer, the three races he won the gold in last year in Hungary. But three isn’t enough.
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Gold medalist Noah Lyles of Team USA reacts after winning the men’s 100-meter final during the World Athletics Championships on Aug. 20, 2023, in Budapest, Hungary. (David Ramos/Getty Images)
During this month’s World Athletics Indoor Championships, Lyles became a part of the silver-medal winning 4×400 relay, a race Lyles had previously run just once since turning pro in 2016.
Lyles received some backlash from a fellow U.S. runner. Fred Kerley accused the United States Track and Field Association of playing favorites and adding Lyles to the group. But Lyles says this is all part of his plan to make history.
In a recent interview with Fox News Digital, Lyles said a friend told him, “‘Forget three, you need to go after four. Do something no one’s ever done.'”
“When you want to talk about being the greatest, that’s what you have to achieve. So, I announced that that is a goal of mine to complete; why not do it on the biggest stage, the Olympics?”
Noah Lyles celebrates after winning the gold medal in the men’s 200-meter final at the World Athletics Championships in Budapest, Hungary, on Aug. 25, 2023. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader)
US TRACK STAR NOAH LYLES SAYS REPRESENTING COUNTRY AT OLYMPICS IS ‘BITTERSWEET’
Lyles had not run the race during qualifiers but was a last-minute addition. He ran the third leg in an impressive 45.68 seconds, and had Belgium’s Alexander Doom not run a flawless 44.88 anchor leg, Lyles would’ve won gold in Glasgow, Scotland.
So, while it may not look good to his other competitors, Lyles says this was all “planned.” However, four gold medals aren’t even his focus.
Lyles is the heavy favorite to win the 200-meter, but now, he’s in the conversation to beat Usain Bolt’s world record of 19.19.
Obviously, a gold in the event would be nice, but there’s more on the line for Lyles.
Noah Lyles celebrates after winning silver in the men’s 60-meter final at this month’s World Athletics Indoor Championships in Glasgow, Scotland. (Sam Barnes/Sportsfile via Getty Images)
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“It’s the dream goal. It’s the first world record that I kind of put up as ‘I want that to be mine,’” Lyles says. “The 100, I’ve still been learning, but the 200 is my favorite event, and it’s the time I’ve put the most into. So, when I look at it, I’m like, ‘Yeah, that’s the world record I want to be mine first.’”
Bolt ran his 19.19 at the 2009 World Championships in Berlin; Lyles’ current personal best is 19.31, the third-fastest ever and current U.S. record.
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