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Noah Lyles Wins 100m in Photo Finish, Then Shares Heartwarming Moment with Mom
“You did it. Oh my god, you're so amazing,” Keisha Caine Bishop told her son minutes after his thrilling win on the track.
The only thing more moving than watching American Noah Lyles sprint to Olympic gold in a photo finish at the men's 100m in Paris was seeing his mother’s reaction to the win.
Keisha Caine Bishop—a 10-time NCAA All-American runner herself—was spotted in the stands nervously awaiting the judges’ verdict in a race. Once Noah was declared the winner over Jamaica's Kishane Thompson, Bishop put her hands to her head, jumped up and down and screamed. The proud mom became so overcome with emotion, she even dropped to her knees as her hands shook.
“This is mom Keisha watching when she finds out at the same time as the rest of the world that her son won,” an NBC announcer said of the emotional moment posted by NBC Sports on X, formally known as Twitter.
Just moments after the win, Noah—who was the first American male sprinter to win gold in the 100m since Justin Gatlin in 2004 — jumped into his mother’s arms as the two shared an emotional embrace.
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“You did it. Oh my god, you're so amazing,” she could be heard saying.”'Oh my god, you're so blessed, I'm so proud of you. I'm so proud. I'm so proud.”
Who Is Noah Lyles' Mom Keisha Caine Bishop?
Bishop has a unique understanding of just what her son goes through on the track.
She earned her own glory as a star runner in college at Seton Hall University alongside Noah’s father Kevin Lyles, who also had a successful college career and medaled in a 1995 world championship.
Bishop was a 10-time NCAA All-American herself and two-time NCAA champion in the women’s 4x400 relay, according to TODAY.
Kevin and Bishop passed that same love of running onto their children. Noah and his brother Josephus are both elite sprinters, each signing with Adidas and going pro straight out of high school.
“To them, making the Olympics was like getting a driver’s license, because they had been raised around so many track and field Olympians,” Bishop told TODAY in June.
Although running may be in their genes, Noah—and his mom—have been open about the struggles the family faced along the way to make it to the top.
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Noah’s parents divorced in 2008 and as a single mom, there were times that Bishop struggled financially to provide for the family, she told NBCOlympics.com,
“It was really stressful during those years, but I think we learned we are a great team and we can accomplish anything if we put our minds to it,” she said.
As for Noah, he described his mom to the outlet as his “biggest inspiration.”
“My mom has made a lot of sacrifices for me and my brother,” he said.
It’s that same perseverance and determination that has inspired Noah on and off the track.
“My mom is a hard worker,” he said. “I remember her saying constantly, ‘I don’t care what the job is as long as I’m able to make money for my family, I’m gonna do the job and I’m gonna do it to the best of my ability.’ To be honest, that’s kind of how I approach it with life. Whatever hobby I get into, whatever workout I’m doing, even when I’m racing, you know, I’m gonna be the best I can be and I’m gonna be the best you’ve ever seen.”
“My mom means everything to me,” he added before wiping away tears. “We’re very close.”
After his win Sunday in just 9.79 seconds, earning him not only a gold medal but a personal best, Noah took to X in an inspirational message to others about other obstacles he has overcome.
“I have Asthma, allergies, dyslexia, ADD, anxiety and Depression. But I will tell you what you have does not define what you can become. Why Not You!,” he wrote.
Given her unique insight into the sport, Bishop admitted it’s hard to sit in the stands and watch as a race plays out.
“It is so difficult because since I ran I know what he’s going through, but there is nothing I can do about it,” she told Today. “So as soon as I see come up on the track, I just stretch my hands towards him and I pray that God will give him feet with angel’s wings (and) that no one in the race gets hurt.”
Bishop is expected be on hand to cheer her star son on once again Monday as Noah will try to qualify for the 200m in the preliminary round.
He’s made no secret of his goal to become the first man to win both the 100m and 200m events since track legend Usain Bolt did it three consecutive times.
