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Who Is Noah Lyles, the Team USA Sprinter Heading to the 2024 Paris Olympics?
Noah Lyles is headed to the 2024 Paris Olympics and making friends with Snoop Dog along the way.
In the race to the 2024 Paris Olympics, one World Champion American sprinter has proved he’s faster than all the rest.
Noah Lyles sped past the competition in the 100-meter finals at the U.S. Olympic Track and Field Trials Sunday night with a personal-best time of 9.83 seconds to secure his spot on Team USA. Lyles finished ahead of Kenny Bednarek (9.87 seconds) and Fred Kerley (9.88 seconds), who each also qualified for the event and will each join him in Paris.
Lyles’ gold medal win at the trials comes after a successful year for the sprinter, who has found himself chasing records set by track icon Usain Bolt and rubbing elbows with rap legend Snoop Dogg.
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Where is Noah Lyles from?
Lyles, 26, was born in Gainesville, Florida to parents Kevin Lyles and Keisha Caine, according to NBCOlympics.com.
Although his roots can be traced back to Florida, Lyles grew up primarily in Alexandria, Virginia, where he attended T.C. Williams High School.
He made the decision to go pro, signing a deal with Adidas, after high school.
What events does Noah Lyles compete in?
Lyles is known for his prowess in the 200-meter event, but has recently proved he’s a threat in the 100-meter sprint as well.
"I'd say from this week, I'm pretty confident [in the 100]," Lyles told ESPN of his recent victory. "Every time I did a block start, there wasn't a lot of thinking. It was kind of just doing. It was a lot closer to how I feel in the 200, which is what I've been waiting to feel for a very long time now. And every time I get that feeling, it makes the race that much more confident."
In addition to the individual events, Lyles has competed in the 4x100m relay and has declared his intention to race the 4x400 relay in Paris.
Noah Lyles Medals and Records
Although he failed to qualify to compete in the 100m event at the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo, Lyles took home the bronze in the 200m.
By any standard, the medal signifies his undeniable talent, but to Lyles—who continues to strive to be his best—it serves as a reminder to work even harder until he reaches the top.
"I think by not liking it, it gives me the fire to keep going and keep pressing," he told USA Today. "Every time I'm like, 'Yeah, I think I'm doing enough,' I'll turn around and look at that medal and I'm like, 'Alright, back to work!'"
Lyles has won six world titles during his career, including three titles earned during an impressive display at the 2023 World Championship in Budapest. At the recent world championship, Lyles took home the gold for the 100m, 200m and 4x100m—a feat that hasn’t been achieved since Bolt won the same sprint treble in 2015, according to the bio on Olympics.com.
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Lyles has long admired the track legend and told Olympics.com he hopes to one day overtake Bolt’s record in the 200m, noting that the “sky’s the limit” for his lofty goals.
“The first hundred, I just need to be faster,” he said.. “I already have what I need at the end of the race but if I can make the first part faster, then it will make the second part faster.”
Noah Lyles' Friendship with Snoop Dogg
Lyles impressive track record has also earned him some famous friends. The 26-year-old bonded with rap legend Snoop Dogg during the Olympic Trials.
USA Track & Field posted a hilarious video on X, formerly known as Twitter, that showed Lyles, dressed to the nines in a custom made suit, walking into the trials with Snoop, who was carrying a briefcase containing Lyles track uniform.
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NBC announced in January that Snoop Dogg will be a special correspondent during the Paris Olympics, offering his own unique blend of commentary and interacting with the athletes.
The musician was on hand this weekend during the trials and even spent time with Lyles’ mom during a qualifying round for 100m finals on Sunday, according to Sporting News.
He also offered a hilarious interpretation of the men’s steeplechase final while wearing a blue sweatshirt emblazoned with the Olympic rings.
For Lyles, the weekend was a chance to prove he had what it took to win the 100m final, despite falling short in the qualifying rounds for the Tokyo Olympics.
This time around, everything fell perfectly into place and Lyles walked away with first place honors by pulling ahead in the second half of the race.
"When I got to the final, it was like we are not only gonna win from the 60 (meter point), we're gonna keep going. Let's see what we do from that point," Lyles said, according to USA Today. "Every step I took, it felt correct and I felt well in my positions. We got to the acceleration phase and my hips came through and I didn't feel like I had to press very hard. I felt like my knees were going straight into the track. They were directly underneath me. Every step I took felt more powerful than the last. So I'm like, 'I got this race.'"
When he isn’t on the track, Lyles has been a vocal proponent of mental health, openly talking about his own mental health struggles and the value therapy has had in his life.
“In our family, that’s our way of communicating,” he explained to Olympics.com. “We’re very outspoken, very verbal with our emotions … and I guess that’s just how my mom brought us up. I’ve been in therapy since I was probably 9 years old, so this is not foreign to me.”
