Noah Lyles Believes he is the New World Fastest Ever

Noah Lyles asserts that he possesses a significant reservoir of untapped potential in his relentless pursuit to claim the title of the swiftest individual in the annals of history.

Noah Lyles possesses an abundance of self-assurance. After securing three world championship titles last year, the American sprinter has set his sights on surpassing Usain Bolt’s records in the 100 and 200 meters. Lyles confidently states, “He was the fastest man ever to do it, and soon, it’ll be me,” accompanied by a mischievous grin. While some may view this as overconfidence, others see it as the swagger of a top athlete entering his prime in an Olympic year.

Lyles has established himself as a prominent figure in the track and field world, known for his amiable personality and willingness to express his chances at major races. As the Paris Games approach, the 26-year-old has expanded his horizons.

Although he has historically specialized in the 200m, Lyles claimed his first world championship title in the 100m last year in Budapest and secured an indoor silver medal in the 60m earlier this month in Glasgow. While the latter event is not part of the Olympic program, Lyles could potentially compete in four different disciplines in Paris by also participating in the 4x100m and 4x400m relays.

This breadth of ambition for a sprinter is unprecedented. Lyles shares, “We worked on the 60 to help my 100 and my 200, and we’ve witnessed significant progress in that regard. I am incredibly excited to see how it translates to outdoor competitions. This continuous improvement only fuels my confidence, and I intend to have fun with it when we take our training outdoors.”

Lyles solidified his status as the fastest man in the world during the previous year’s world championships, clinching the 100m victory with a personal best time of 9.83 seconds and securing his third consecutive title in the 200m event.

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Approaching Bolt’s world records of 9.58 and 19.19 – Lyles currently ranks third on the all-time list for the 200m with a time of 19.31 – will necessitate patience and continuous improvement. Despite this, many believe that Bolt’s reputation as the greatest sprinter of all time remains unchallenged by the current crop of sprinting talents.

Lyles, on the other hand, believes he has a distinct approach compared to Bolt, the eight-time Olympic gold medalist who retired in 2017.

“He always delivered when it mattered most,” Lyles states. “I, on the other hand, prefer to showcase my dominance throughout the entire year.”

In the recent indoor season, Lyles set a new personal best of 6.43 seconds in the 60m event, finishing just behind compatriot Christian Coleman in the world championship final.

Following that, he secured a silver medal in the 4x400m relay – only his second official appearance in the event. Currently, he is intensifying his training regimen for the upcoming outdoor season, particularly focusing on the Olympics.

“To be frank, I view the past three years as stepping stones,” Lyles explains. “Looking back at 2023, it served as a blueprint for 2024. We executed that plan so effectively that we are now operating on autopilot.”

The main reason for his success last year, Lyles adds, was upping his intensity in the weight room.

“I’ve been lifting a lot more,” he says. “Not to say that I wasn’t lifting already, it’s just that the attitude towards the weight room has increased – more aggression, more weight, a lot more emphasis on that.

“I’ve done so great everywhere else that this was the last place that we really had to increase it.”

Lyles’ progress hasn’t always been as smooth as his speed out of the starting blocks. Indeed, he was a strong favorite to win 200m gold ahead of the Tokyo Olympics three years ago, but despite running a strong bend, he faded towards the end of the race and finished third.

It took a string of world championship titles for Lyles to re-establish himself as the world’s dominant sprinter, though he is eager to prove himself on the biggest stage in Paris later this year.

“After Tokyo, I just had that fire, and it’s increased my drive that much more,” he says. “Every time I get on the track, every world championship, every race I get into, everybody can see that that wasn’t my goal and that I have way more to give.

“I’m now going into Paris saying, ‘Hey, not only am I here to prove that race was a fluke, but I’ve got more races, I’ve got more events. And I’m coming after more than just one event.’”

As one of his sport’s headline stars, Lyles has a long-time, recently-extended contract with Adidas, among other brands, and often speaks of his interests – fashion and music – beyond the track.

He caused a stir among some well-known basketball names last year when he questioned why NBA championship-winning players referred to themselves as world champions, quipping: “World champion of what? The United States?”

That prompted Kevin Durant to suggest somebody “help this brother,” while Aaron Gordon joked, “I’m smoking buddy in the 200m.”

Lyles, though, saw the reaction as a positive reflection on what he had just achieved: a first-ever world championship title in the 100m. “When I got the title of world’s fastest man, now all of a sudden people perk up their ears like, ‘The world’s fastest man said that? I can’t believe you would say something like that,’” says Lyles.

“I already had three world championship gold medals under my belt, but as soon as you get the title of the world’s fastest man, now people are like, ‘Oh shoot. He’s somebody.’”