Noah Lyles is quickly making a name for himself and will go down in the history books as one of the greatest sprinters of all time. Lyles’ “19.47 second time at the Diamond League meet in London in July 2023,” earned him a spot in the record books. He edged out Usain Bolt, the previous record holder, “for the most 200m sprints run in under 20 seconds”
In London, Lyles beat out Erriyon Knighton and Kenny Bednarek “in another American clean sweep,” where he also broke the 26-year-old national record by Michael Johnson.
This race added more fuel to the rivalry between Knighton and Lyles. Apparently, the two were once close, but not anymore. Moreover, they “had crossed paths and words on the same track last month.”
At the US Trials in June, after Lyles beat Knight, he celebrated his victory “by pointing across his rival at the clock.” During the post-race interview afterward, Knighton walked out, stating “it ain’t finished.”
Lyles told BBC Sport, “I put myself under no pressure,” adding, “I came out here to give it my 100%.” “That time was always going to come once I got a start I wanted,” Lyles continued.
Lyles is now “the third-fastest man in history” for the 200 meter distance behind “Bolt, whose world record stands at 19.19, and Bolt’s fellow Jamaican Yohan Blake.”
He will be competing next at the 2023 World Championships in Budapest. If he takes home the victory at worlds, he’ll be joining the elite ranks alongside Bolt and Allyson Felix, who are the only other sprinters to have won three consecutive 200m world titles. “Bolt won four in a row.”
It’s certainly a family affair for Lyles—his “dad [world 4x400m relay gold medalist Kevin Lyles] grew up in that era racing against Michael Johnson,” and, as Lyles told the press, “I remember the Americans sweeping everything.”
Lyles became even more inspired after having “to watch the Jamaicans dominating.”
As he shared with BBC Sport, “I said to myself, ‘when I get there I want to make sure the USA is dominating again.’”
Off the track, the anime-obsessed Floridian has a “part-time rap career” where he “makes music and performs under the rap name Nojo18.”