PARIS: Noah Lyles banished his Tokyo demons as he stormed to Olympic 100m glory in Paris in his continuing bid to fill the void left by Usain Bolt.
Lyles followed up on his treble gold (100m, 200m and 4x100m relay) at last year’s world championships in Budapest by winning the 100m at the Stade de France in 9.79 seconds in a dramatic photo finish.
It ended a 20-year wait for an American gold in the blue riband event. Justin Gatlin was the last sprinter, man or woman, to win Olympic 100m gold.
World Athletics president Sebastian Coe has dubbed Lyles, whose contract renewal with Adidas this season was described as the biggest since Bolt’s with Puma, an “absolute rock star.”
Dread-locked rapper more than rock star, the 27-year-old American’s efforts in the Hungarian capital were captured in Netflix’s docuseries entitled “Sprint.”
A second season is being filmed with the Paris Games as the backdrop.
The cameras firmly shine the spotlight on the self-assured Lyles, who looks more than ready to bring track back into the wider public consciousness and whose brashness was clear for all to hear in a litany of quotable soundbites in the first series.
“You have to have the mindset of a god,” Lyles said of being a top sprinter in “Sprint.”
“I’m a true believer in that the moment isn’t bigger than me, the moment was made for me.”
While many pundits insist that such an outlook is hardly rare for elite athletes, there is no doubt his brazen approach rubs many other people up the wrong way, not least legions of NBA basketball players — and their fans — after Lyles had questioned their claim to be real “world champions.”
Lyles, who has openly talked about his struggles with mental health and depression in recent years, admits that his growing fame has become a problem in the Olympic Village.
“I’ve become kind of popular in the village and unfortunately that has come with its own set of challenges in being able to find my own space within the village, whether that’s eating or training in the gym,” he said.
His gold in Paris at least atones for his disappointing Tokyo experience, where he came away with a bronze in the 200m.
“That bronze still burns a hole in my chest,” Lyles said.
“I will be carrying it around during Paris just to remind me that this is not the color we are coming back with.”
Lyles, who suffered from chronic asthma as a child, insisted he thrives under public scrutiny.
“The more eyes on me, the better I perform, or at least that’s what my therapist says. When the TV cameras are on me and people are there, I am not losing.”
The American is still hoping to complete an audacious bid for medals in four events in Paris, adding the 4x400m relay to his repertoire.
He ruffled feathers in the world indoors in Glasgow in March when, after claiming 60m silver behind teammate Christian Coleman, he was selected for the 4x400m relay squad that also won silver.
It was a call-up that left the US federation accused of favoritism.
“Let’s just say a lot of people in the US were very, very, very upset that I ran the 4x400 and to that I would say, ‘run faster, push me out!’,” Lyles said.
Bolt retired from the sport in 2017 having won 11 world and eight Olympic golds.
Lyles, whose Budapest sprint double was the first since Bolt’s at the Beijing worlds in 2015, said: “Usain Bolt has done it and him saying to me that he sees what I am doing and he respects it, it is amazing.
“I am the guy who wants to move past being track-famous. I want people to see me on the track, but in GQ and my docu-series, and realize I’m a cool guy too.
“Medals are the first step because then people pay attention to you.
“Then you can go into different directions: fashion, music. You can start collaborating with other people, artists and the world.”
Lyles arrived in Paris knowing full well that he needed to continue his fine form, simply because to continue garnering attention, he needs to keep winning medals — the Olympics are the ultimate global championships for the American spectator.
That was Bolt’s allure: his ability to dominate and win multiple gold medals at global championships.
Lyles has bagged one. More podiums beckon.