The 60-meter race is like lightning in a bottle. Blink and you’ll miss it! Just 6 seconds to decide who takes the win. It is a different level of explosiveness. And sprinters dominating 100 or 200 meters have often found it to be difficult. And Noah Lyles is no different. The reigning Olympic gold medalist and world 100m champion has proved his mettle on the longer sprints. But 60m has still posed a challenge for Lyles, partly because of his poor starts.

As we know in 60 m, those milliseconds at the beginning can make all the difference. But it looks like things have changed for Lyles because of the guidance of one legendary figure—who sadly passed away in January this year. Fast forward to February 2nd, 2025, and Lyles finally cracked the code at the New Balance Indoor Grand Prix. He powered through the men’s 60m, finishing in 6.52 seconds.

That time earned him the win, with Terrence Jones from the Bahamas taking second in 6.57 and P.J. Austin rounding out the top three in 6.60. What made this victory even more impressive was that Lyles’ improvement wasn’t just about speed—it was about technique. But the competition wasn’t a walk in the park, either.

You had Italy’s Marcell Jacobs, the Tokyo Olympic 100m champion, pushing for a top spot. But Lyles showed his growth, outrunning Jacobs, who finished fourth in 6.63 seconds. After the race, Lyles couldn’t help but credit a scientist who helped him fine-tune his start.

Lyles took to Instagram to share a series of photos from the race, one showing him crossing the finish line in victory, another with him holding flowers, and the last one capturing his playful attitude—holding a paper that read, “Tyreek could never.” This was a nod to Miami Dolphins star wide receiver Tyreek Hill, who had once trolled Lyles, claiming he could beat him in a race.

After Hill’s challenge following the Paris Olympics, the two had talked about a possible 60-yard race, but nothing had come of it. With the NFL season nearly over, it remains to be seen if the race will ever happen. Despite the playful rivalry, Lyles’ post had a heartfelt caption: “This one’s for you, Ralph.”

The man in question is Dr. Ralph Mann. And he is the biomechanist who helped Noah fine-tune his sprinting technique, leading to his recent success. So, how did Noah’s journey with Ralph begin? Well, it all started after a tough Tokyo bronze, when Noah sought Ralph’s expertise to refine his starts, and the rest is history. RIP, Ralph.

Noah Lyles’ journey with Dr. Ralph Mann

It was the Tokyo Olympics, and after earning a bronze in the 200m, Noah Lyles was deeply disappointed with his performance. Determined to bounce back, he sought help from Dr. Ralph Mann, a biomechanics expert and 400m hurdles silver medalist from the 1972 Munich Olympics. Mann’s brutally honest critique of Lyles’ race, “That’s trash,” was a tough pill to swallow.

But it kicked off a series of adjustments that dramatically improved Lyles’ performance in the first 30 meters, due to Mann’s scientific expertise. Dr. Ralph Mann, a former world record holder in 400m hurdles, earned a Ph.D. in biomechanics in 1975 and dedicated his career to studying elite sprinters and hurdlers. His insights into sprint mechanics and his creation of software that visualized ideal sprinting form helped Lyles refine his technique.

Mann’s coaching focused on improving Lyles’ reaction times and start technique, emphasizing the importance of power in the first few steps and transitioning to full speed. The adjustments took time, but by February 2024, Lyles saw results. He beat Christian Coleman for the first time in the 60m indoors, despite Coleman’s faster start.

When Lyles went on to win gold at the Paris Olympics, his improved start technique allowed him to make up for a slower reaction time. He ultimately won the race with a personal best of 9.78 seconds. On January 4, 2025, after Dr. Mann passed from pancreatic cancer, Lyles posted a tribute on Instagram. The Olympic champ remembered the man who had helped transform his career.

“For those who don’t know who this is, this is Ralph Mann! An Olympian and former world record holder, but that’s not why I know him,” Lyles wrote. “I know Ralph because he is the crazy scientist that helped me and my coach turn me into the athlete I am today.” Lyles’ tribute captured the depth of their relationship. It acknowledges how Mann’s scientific approach not only improved his starts but also helped him become an Olympic champion.