Depressed & Heartbroken in 2021, Noah Lyles Fires Off Warning for Track & Field Rivals at Paris Olympics

Noah Lyles earned the title of the “fastest man of 2023“ after winning gold medals in the 100 meters, 200 meters, and the 4×100-meter relay at the World Championships. As he gears up for his second Olympics in Paris, Lyles stands on the brink of rewriting history again. His ambition knows no bounds.

He’s on a mission to seize four gold medals on the track at Paris 2024- 100m, 200m, 4x100m, and 4x400m relays. Yet, the journey to this momentous goal has been strewn with obstacles. As the age-old adage dictates, “everything has a price,” a truth reverberating throughout Lyles’ journey.

Noah Lyles: overcoming Tokyo’s shadows to illuminate Paris Olympics

Lyles, at 26, carries the weight of American hopes for the Paris Olympics, marking his second appearance at the event. After the Tokyo Olympics, Lyles disclosed his battles with mental health, which plagued him due to the delayed games. Reflecting on his journey, he shares, “Mentally, getting on and off the antidepressants, it was really hard.“

His revelation shed light on the arduous year he endured, marked by the ebb and flow of antidepressant use in his quest for success on the track. He relied on antidepressants for a period. Since spring 2021, Lyles has relied on medication to manage his depression and anxiety, finding solace in its effects, “so much better.“

Noah Lyles’ debut in Tokyo 2020 was riddled with controversy. The pandemic forced the postponement of the 2020 Tokyo Games, which eventually took place in 2021. This isolation left Lyles without an audience and disconnected from family and friends. He had long dreamed of entering a packed stadium before racing in his first Olympic final.

However, when the time came for him to show his talent in Tokyo 2020, he fell short of gold but secured bronze in the 200m. This outcome left him heartbroken as his aspirations soared higher than mere podium finishes. His eyes were initially set on both the 100m and 200m events earlier but he failed to qualify for the 100m.

Fast forward to 2024, and he speaks of marked improvement. “I’m not depressed, for sure. The pills are in the past.” He expresses relief at not having to grapple with the process of discontinuing antidepressants once more, “Thankfully, I’m not coming off antidepressants [this time].“

Reflecting on his journey, he notes the stark disparity between his past and present selves, “Every so often I will go back and watch my races from 2021 and I don’t know who that man is running. I’ve never seen that man before in my life. I’m not him. It’s been like that for the last two years, but especially this one.“

Lyles acknowledges the shift in his mental health, “The Noah leading up to Tokyo was depressed. This Noah is not — and that’s a dangerous Noah.” But surely, this version of Lyles is different, and looking at his journey as of 2024, he’s improving every moment.

Noah Lyles’ jaw-dropping 2024 season- One more step closer to Paris Olympics

At the U.S. national championships in 2022, Noah Lyles astonished spectators by winning the 200 meters in 19.31 seconds, narrowly surpassing the American record of 19.32 seconds set by Michael Johnson. Lyles is ranked third on the 200m all-time list. His triumph continued at the 2023 world championships where he clinched gold medals in the 100 meters with a personal best time of 9.83 seconds, the 200 meters, and the 4 × 100-meter relay.

Remarkably, he became the first male runner since the legendary Usain Bolt in 2015 to achieve the coveted “sprint treble.” Noah Lyles started his 2024 season with a stellar performance in the 60m short sprint event, securing victory at the USA Indoor Championships with a personal best of 6.43 seconds. Chrisitan Coleman followed closely behind, finishing second with a time of 6.51s.

Despite narrowly missing the gold at the 2024 World Athletics Championships, where he was edged out by Christian Coleman with times of 6.41s for Coleman and 6.44s for Lyles in the 60m finals. Then in the 100m events, Lyles showcased his dominance, claiming victory with a time of 10.005s at the Tom Jones Memorial, where Kenny Bednarek secured a second place with a time of 10.010s.

He continued his winning streak at the Bermuda Grand Prix, crossing the finish line in 9.96 seconds, with Aaron Brown trailing behind at 10.09s. Despite finishing second at the Racers Grand Prix with a time of 9.85 seconds, just behind Oblique Seville’s 9.82 seconds, the close margin highlights Lyles’ consistency. But Lyles issued a warning after that, “I say it every year, when I get beat, y’all better be scared as shit, because next time you see me, you gonna be fuckin worried!”

As Paris draws near, anticipation mounts for Lyles’ performance at the USATF NYC Grand Prix. With his eyes fixed on shattering Kenny Bednarek’s world-leading time of 19.67s, Lyles is poised to reaffirm his dominance before the Parisian stage. The upcoming race promises excitement as spectators eagerly await Lyles’ perfection, inching him one more step closer to Paris.