PARIS: Noah Lyles will look to banish his Tokyo demons when he takes to the Olympic track in Paris in his continued quest to fill the void left by Usain Bolt.
Lyles took a big step towards that dream when he won triple gold (100m, 200m and 4x100m relay) at last year's World Championships in Budapest.
It led to World Athletics president Sebastian Coe dubbing Lyles, whose Adidas contract renewal this season was the biggest since Bolt with Puma, “an absolute rock star”.
The efforts of the 27-year-old American in the Hungarian capital, who is more of a rapper with dreads than a rock star, were captured in a Netflix documentary called “Sprint”.
It shined firmly on a confident Lyles, who seems more than ready to bring the track back into the wider public consciousness, whose brashness was clear for all to hear in the litany of quotable sounds.
“You have to have the mindset of an icon,” Lyles said of being the top sprinter in “Sprint.”
“I truly believe that the moment is not bigger than me, the moment was made for me.”
While many pundits insist that such a view is hardly rare among elite athletes, there's no doubt that his brash attitude rubs many others the wrong way, not least the legions of NBA basketball players — and their fans — after Lyles disputed their claims. to be true “champions of the world”.
Either way, the cameras will be on Lyles again in Paris as he looks to improve on his performance at the Tokyo Games, where he won bronze in the 200m.
“That bronze still burns a hole in my chest,” Lyles said last weekend after winning the 100m in a personal best of 9.81 seconds in a slight headwind at the London Diamond League.
“I'll wear it during Paris, just to remind myself that this is not the color we're coming back with.”
But his victory in London left Lyles in high spirits and unconcerned about Jamaican Kishan Thompson, the year's fastest man after his 9.77 in Kingston last month.
“I beat everyone I touched,” he said. “I don't understand why Jamaicans are different. This is what I pray for, live for, and back up for, right?”
Lyles, who suffered from chronic asthma as a child, added: “I know exactly where I am before Paris.
“The more eyes on me, the better the performance, or so my therapist says. When TV cameras are on me and people are there, I don't lose.'
The American is still hoping to complete a daring four-event medal push in Paris, adding the 4x400m relay to his repertoire.
He ruffled feathers at Glasgow Indoors in March when, after winning 60m silver behind team-mate Christian Coleman, he was selected for the 4x400m relay which also won silver.
It was a challenge that saw the US federation accused of procrastination.
“Let's just say a lot of people in the U.S. were very, very, very upset that I ran the 4×400 and I would say, 'run faster, push me out!'” Lyles said.
Bolt retired from the sport in 2017 after winning 11 world and eight Olympic gold medals.
Lyles, whose Budapest sprint double was the first since Bolt at the 2015 world championships in Beijing, said: “Usain Bolt has done it and told me he sees what I'm doing and respects it, it's amazing.
“I'm a person who wants to overcome being famous. I want people to see me on the track, but in GQ and my documentary series, and realize that I'm a cool guy too.
“Medals are the first step because then people pay attention to you.
“Then you can go in different directions: fashion, music. You can start collaborating with other people, artists and the world.”
Lyles needs to continue his great form at the Paris Olympics – the ultimate world championship for the American viewer – simply because he needs to win medals to keep attracting attention.
That was Bolt's main strength and charm: His ability to dominate and win multiple gold medals at world championships.
Paris stages beckon Lyles.
