Noah Lyles' Kamehameha celebration has Dragon Ball fans and Toei Animation congratulating his Paris Olympics 2024 victory

By Kevin Tanza

Modified Aug 07, 2024 04:30 GMT

Dragon Ball fans and Toei Animation congratulates Noah Lyles for doing the Kamehameha after winning at the Olympics (Image via Noah Lyles). — Dragon Ball fans and Toei Animation congratulates Noah Lyles for doing the Kamehameha after winning at the Olympics (Image via X/@LylesNoah)

Dragon Ball fans and Toei Animation congratulate American professional track and field sprinter Noah Lyles, after his victory in the 2024 Paris Olympics because of his Kamehameha celebration. Lyles, who has competed in the 60 meters, 100 meters, and 200 meters over the years, gained a lot of notoriety in the anime community because he has repeatedly made that gesture throughout his career.

It is also worth pointing out that Noah Lyles is a notorious Dragon Ball fan and was even very vocal when author Akira Toriyama passed away on March 1 of this year. Furthermore, he has repeatedly stated how much of an inspiration Goku has been to him and how he tries to capture the protagonist's intensity when performing in his career.

Disclaimer: This article contains spoilers for the series. Any opinion expressed here belongs to the author and the people quoted and not Sportskeeda as a whole.

Dragon Ball fans and Toei Animation congratulate Noah Lyles for his success at the Olympics after doing the Kamehameha

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Noah Lyles surprised the anime community this week as he won gold in the tracking division at the 2024 Paris Olympics and did the Kamehameha pose when celebrating his gold medal. This gesture made by the athlete, the Kamehameha, is Goku's signature attack and made the rounds all over the world, with even Toei Animation, the company in charge of the anime, congratulating the American athlete.

It is also worth pointing out, as mentioned earlier, that Lyles has always been a very vocal fan of Goku and has done the Kamehameha gesture several times throughout his career. He has even mentioned how the iconic anime protagonist inspired him to become an athlete and made a post, mourning author Akira Toriyama's passing back in March of this year.

Lyles is not the first athlete to mention this series as an inspiration as there have been several who have echoed similar sentiments. A common theme has been how Goku's discipline to train and get stronger inspired them to get in shape, which is probably one of the most positive contributions made by Toriyama and his work.

Reactions online

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This event is a prime example of the everlasting legacy of the Dragon Ball franchise and the reach that it has all over the world. This was shown during the days mourning Akira Toriyama's passing, with even presidents celebrating the mangaka's legacy and his impact on culture.

Furthermore, it also shows how this series has marked so many people, particularly when it comes to sports. It makes a lot of sense when considering how the likes of Goku, Vegeta, and many more became stronger in the story through hard work and training, which makes a lot of sense when it comes to inspiring athletes.

"Toriyama would have LOVED to see that... May he rest in Peace," someone said.

"He said he got this and he provided. This is for the Anime community," another person said.

"Bro went SSJ," another user said.

Noah Lyles is known for being a huge anime fan and has shown it time and time again, which is why that community was in his corner during this Olympics.

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Edited by Meenakshi Ajith