PARIS — On the cusp of an Olympic bid for the 100-meter dash, Noah Lyles wore an immaculate navy Gucci suit covered in the monochromatic logo, with three white stripes down the sides of the pants — part of a collaboration between Adidas and the luxury Italian brand. He carried a briefcase containing the legendary Yu-Gi-Oh trading card Blue-Eyes White Dragon, which he let Snoop Dogg do the honors of unveiling.
That’s high fashion. That’s anime. That’s hip hop. Three cultures, three industries, merging into one moment. For a sprinter.
A few weeks later, he was a Netflix star.
It was an epic runway to Paris for Lyles. He couldn’t have scripted it better. And he did write it. His declared attempt to transcend athletics, to enter the realm of fame normally reserved for stars of major sports, is downright choreographed. So much so that it rubs some people the wrong way.
Many prefer athletes who are cloaked in humility. They want performances that require insurmountable self-confidence, a greatness born of guts but a personality befitting a community leader. But Lyles wants to do the opposite of fitting his reported 5-foot-10 frame and 6-foot-9 persona into a traditional box.
“Everybody has their own vibe. I’m a showman,” Lyles explained in the Netflix documentary series “Sprint.”
“I almost feel like an artistic director. You have all these other athletes who are stars, rock stars, popular wherever they go. Athletics has to be the same. And I won’t be happy until I see that happen.”
Noah Lyles poses with a replica of the Eiffel Tower after winning the 200 meters at the U.S. Olympic Trials. In Paris, he will attempt to make the 100-, 200-meter double. (Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
Yes, it’s arrogant. Yes, it’s ambitious. And yes, it works.
What’s proven is that this 27-year-old from Alexandria, Va., is undeniable. Whether you like him or annoy him, it’s becoming increasingly difficult to look away. Lyles carries himself like someone who’s studied the makings of superstardom and realized he has to create the hype his sport doesn’t inherently provide. He’s following a blueprint that’s worked many times before, one that’s especially needed in the age of entertainment saturation.
His swag, his connection to a multitude of cultures, makes him adept at drawing eyes. He has proven he can harmonize his worlds. He has accomplished the first part of his plot. His name is in lights. He has the attention.
There are only two questions left at this point.
Question 1: Can he win big enough to become an athletic legend?
Lyles began this journey in earnest by declaring his desire to become the world’s sprint king. Already a standout in the 200 meters, he took on the glory of the sport, the 100 meters, in an attempt to seize the unclaimed throne after Usain Bolt retired.
Lyles’ only Olympic medal to date is a bronze in Tokyo. Yet Noahstradamus predicted he would win gold in both the 100 and 200 in Paris, a feat only eight Americans have accomplished, the last being Carl Lewis in 1984. (Incidentally, Bolt has done it three times in a row at the Olympics — 2008, 2012 and 2016.)
In true Lyles style, ahead of the 2023 World Championships, he fired a shot at the NBA ChampionsHe wants to stir up the superstars he wants to join and put his name on the wall of a bigger palace.
He drew the ire of many NBA players and their fans. He was treated like a clout chaser, a battle rapper trying to make a name for himself by dissing bigger names. But then Lyles went and won gold in both the 100 and 200. He not only gave life to his Olympic goals, he also possessed the clout he was accused of chasing.
Noah Lyles shows off a Yu-Gi-Oh card after winning the 100 meters at the U.S. Olympic Trials. He will make his Paris debut in the event on Saturday. (Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
That’s perhaps the most impressive thing about Lyles. He’s one of the highlights of the track and field portion of the Summer Games because he’s really performed at an incredible level. His antics in some ways overshadow how great he’s performed.
He hasn’t lost a 200m race since the Tokyo Games, when he finished third. Not even a heat. That’s 25 wins in a row heading into Paris. He’s maintained his dominance in the discipline, despite adding another event.
He has become so good at the 100 meters, where he finished seventh at the 2021 U.S. Olympic qualifiers, that he is the big favorite, along with Kishane Thompson of Jamaica, to win gold in Paris.
He could win the double. He could also win a third gold medal in the 4x100m relay. It would give him the credibility of precious metals to add to his bombast.
Question 2: Would that be enough? Would making American history make him a household name in America? Does calling his shot and delivering his delivery make him mainstream?
Certainly, when you think of track and field stars whose fame transcended the ceiling of their sport, it was accompanied by heroic feats. Lewis is perhaps the greatest name ever in men’s track and field. Michael Johnson is one of those household names after winning the 200-meter and 400-meter double at the 1996 Atlanta Games. Other transcendent figures who achieved the double Lyles seeks: Florence Griffith-Joyner, Wilma Rudolph and Jesse Owens.
Gold medals in Paris are a crucial step toward transcendence. Not only would he make himself an Olympic champion, he would be ready to make the most of it with the 2028 Olympics coming to America. In Los Angeles, of all places. Four years of Olympic glory, his name on the marquee of athletics’ great effort to stay in America. Then he would grace the podium at home, where his country would see him live in prime time.
Lyles’ vision is promising.
While some fans don’t like athletes who talk before they perform, most have respect for athletes who walk the talk.
“I truly believe that the moment is not bigger than me,” Lyles said on Netflix. “The moment was made for me.”
He certainly understands the rewards of pre-declared greatness. Even Michael Jordan, one of the most transcendent athletes of all time, declared it easy to say when it’s ahead, but the “sign of a good man” is someone who can talk “when the score is tied.”
When Lyles takes the court at Stade de France on Saturday, the score at the Olympics will be 0-0. And Lyles has been talking a lot.
With his mouth. With are social media. With his rap songs. With his wardrobe. With Yu-Gi-Oh cards. With his body art. With his Apple TV documentary. With his Adidas contract.
All he has to do is talk with his feet. As he always seems to do. If Lyles can pull this off in Paris, he might just find the transcendence he seeks.
GO DEEPER
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(Top illustration: Dan Goldfarb / The Athletics; photo: Tim Clayton / Corbis via Getty Images)
