Noah Lyles

Noah Lyles is an American sprinter born on 13th July 1997. He hails from Gainesville city of Florida in the USA. Noah represents America internationally in 100m and 200m events.

Background

Noah Lyles was born to Kevin Lyles and Keisha Caine. Both his parents are former track and field athletes. His father was a 1993 Summer Universiade Gold-medalist in 4x100m and his mother was a 9-time national and 2-time NCAA champion in 4x100m. Noah has a brother, Josephus, an international sprinter and former world junior champion.

Noah was pursuing his interest in the gymnasium until he decided to switch to track and field at the age of 12. As a child, he battled asthma and while studying in middle school he had fought depression. In 2014, Noah enrolled at the T.C. Williams High School, where his athletic talent was spotted by Michael Hughes who took him under his wings.

In 2015, as a high school junior, Noah won a Gold medal in the high jump. The following year, in March, he won the 100m title at the Balance Nationals Indoor. In April, Noah bagged the 100m and 200m titles at the Arcadia Invitational.

Rise to Glory

Noah Lyles's international athletics career kicked off on a good note with a Silver medal in the Medley Relay at the World Youth Athletics Championships in 2013. In 2015, he triumphed two Gold medals in 100m and 200m by clocking 10.14s and 20.18s respectively at the US Junior National Championships in Eugene, Oregon.

In 2016, Noah defended his junior national title in 100m with an improved timing of 10.08s in Clovis, California. In July, he failed to secure the spot on the US Olympic Team for 100m and 200m events at the Rio Olympics. But, he was qualified to represent America in the 2016 World U-20 Athletics Championships.

In March 2017, Noah bagged a Gold medal in a 300m event with a timing of 31.87 seconds at the U.S Indoor Track and Field Championships. That year, in June, he finished 4th in 200m heats and thus not making it to the semi-final at the US Track and Field Championships.

In 2018, Noah Lyles clinched his first senior national title in 100m by clocking 9.88 at the US Track and Field Championships. The following year, he won his first 200m national title at the tournament with the timing of 19.78m, just 0.24 seconds ahead of Silver-medalist Christian Coleman.

Major Achievements

Noah Lyles’s major international breakthrough came in 2014 when he bagged the Gold medal in 200m with a timing of 20.80 seconds at the Youth Olympics in Nanjing, China. The following year, in August, he won the Gold medal and a Silver in 100m and 200m events respectively at the Pan-American U-20 Athletics Championships.

In 2016, Noah competed at the World U-20 Athletics Championships and won two Gold medals in 100m and 4x100m relay events with the timings of 10.17s and 38.93s, respectively. The following year, in April, he made it to the podium finish alongside his American relay team with a Silver medal at the World Athletics Relays. In September, Noah clinched the Gold in 200m at the Diamond League.

In 2018, Noah Lyles defended his Diamond League Gold medal in 200m in Zurich, Switzerland. That year, in September, he clinched the Gold medal in 100m by clocking 10.01s, followed by another Gold medal in 4x100m relay with a timing of 38.05s at the IAAF Continental Cup in Ostrava, Czech Republic.

In 2019, Noah triumphed two Gold medals in 100m and 200m events at the Diamond League. That year, in October, he won a Gold medal in 200m, which was followed by another Gold medal with his American relay team in the 4x100m relay at the World Athletics Championships.

Noah Lyles will be competing in his debut Olympics at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics after missing out on his chance to represent his country in the 2016 Rio Olympics. He is seen as one of the top competitors in the 100m event.