Noah Lyles said he would, and he did it! The sprinter bagged his first Olympic gold after recording his personal best in the men’s 100m finals. The 27-year-old’s gold feat is America’s first in the last 20 years in the men’s 100m category. Not only that, but Lyles finished first after a 0.005s difference between him and the silver. It was one of the most competitive races of all time. Noah now has achieved the title of ‘the world’s fastest man’, and rightfully so. Most of the fans poured out their respects and showered love. However, his opinion on the ‘NBA Champions’ being referred to as ‘World Champions’ hasn’t sat well with the hoops community to this day.

On the other hand, Hall of Famers, including Dwayne Wade and Magic Johnson, have chosen to put all the fights and taunts behind themselves. They had nothing but respect for Noah Lyles, who finally shined in the Olympics. While some ball fans didn’t expect this outcome, Lyles knew exactly how to react. Right after his race, he shouted, “Say something!” confronting the doubters. He was pretty confident going into this final race, but the fact that he got the job done, even with a small margin, speaks volumes of his confidence.

Magic Johnson was proud of Lyle’s performance, as the Lakers legend was honored to be still living to witness history. “We’re all on the yacht cheering for Noah Lyles after winning the Men’s 100M race and remaining the fastest man in the world! It’s the first time in 20 years that the US brings home the gold in the Men’s 100! Wow – what an exciting race!! @LylesNoah”, wrote Magic.

D-Wade, on the other hand, was also impressed by Noah’s 100m saying, “HE’S HIM!!” after reposting a picture of Noah holding up his name tag. Josh Hart dropped a one-word reaction, only posting the word “Respect” and Evan Turner, a former Sixer, also showered in all the love, quoting, “Big time shot by the big guy.” However, the track and field community is likely waiting for a particular response.

Kevin Durant was the first one to taunt Noah Lyles after the sprinter had said that NBA Champions weren’t World Champions in comparison to athletics tournaments which have representation globally with runners, gymnasts, and many others participating for their country’s flag. While many hoopers followed KD’s suit with criticism, The Slim Reaper’s comment weirdly stands out to this day. “Somebody help this brother,” he wrote. Well, from the looks of it, Noah has ‘helped’ himself and won gold.

Now, one of the reasons why this year’s 100m final was historic was because of the margin between all the runners. A mere difference of 0.12s separated the first and the last and just 0.06s between the first and fifth! Yes, this does mean that all 8 runners finished their sprint in under 10 seconds. And for Noah Lyles to be on top of all is truly going to be the highlight of his career. However, Lyles is not done, yet. After dominating in the men’s 100m, he is now looking forward to his second gold in Paris.

Noah Lyles admitted to being “in the best shape” gearing up for 200m

Lyles always set targets for himself. Following Kishane Thompson’s 9.77 in the Jamaica Olympic Trials, there were a few doubtful stares toward Noah, wondering if he’d deliver in Paris. And he did by the finest of margins! Thompson was only 0.02 seconds slower than his trial record and had he clocked in the same reading, well, reality would’ve been a lot different! But that doesn’t take away anything from Lyles’ achievement, as the sprinter has now developed a sort of knack for talking the talk and walking the walk!

On the other hand, Lyles is hopeful of finishing the 200m in 19.19s, which would beat Usain Bolt’s record. But can he do it? Well, Noah recorded 9.83 in the Semi-Finals, just behind Oblique Seville’s 9.80. He has a lot of confidence going forward and the hopes for winning the gold in the 200m are only skyrocketing. “I am in the best shape of my life. I am seeing times in training I don’t usually see. In the 100m, the American record is constantly on my mind. In the 200m, 19.10 is definitely the goal.”, Noah told the DailyMail.

While Lyles couldn’t surpass the American record in 100 m (9.69 by Tyson Gay), he brought home the long-awaited gold medal. It will be interesting to see him go for the world record on Thursday. What are your thoughts on the fantastic finish? Do you think he’ll break the world record?

Let us know in the comments.

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