July 26, 2024 – With an “ICON” nail art and a classic Ralph Lauren-tailored Team USA uniform, Noah Lyles made an appearance at the Seine during the opening ceremony. It is the 27-year-old’s only second run at the Olympics, and the chances are it might be his best—but perhaps the last—sprint at the Olympics!

When your life’s work is reduced to 10 or 20 seconds, you change gears to live in moments. Despite a swollen knee, winning a bronze at the 200m dash in Tokyo minutes later was still “boring” for Lyles. The loss liberated him: “The more I look back at it, the more I’m like, ‘Wow, if I never had that moment happen, I never would have produced what I have done up until now’,” Lyles confessed during the 2024 trials. He isn’t one to dwell in the past, or should we now say, the future. Hear it from the Floridian himself, talk about what matters to him right now.

“I just love moments man. That’s what I like to do as a performer. We didn’t get to experience anything like this at the 2021. So this is a moment I want to enjoy. LA[2028] is not promised, so take it in now.” 

But who is to say that Lyles isn’t contemplating retirement. At the end of the next quadrennial, Lyles will enter his thirties, a time when many sprinting greats like Usain Bolt chose to retire. For now, Lyles has tunnel-visioned himself for a poetic end. Imagine Lyles walking into the tracks of the Stade de France, and the stadium goes dead silent to the Undertaker’s iconic ‘Bong.’

Accolades can wait but he wants the moment to be here. “I’ve come to this point where it’s actually not going to be one of my favorite songs. But I feel this song would actually create the moment that I want. It is the Undertaker’s intro song… zeroing on the moment and all you hear is dung, dung,” Noah smiled away.

If not LA 2028, Noah Lyles can still create moments at the World Championships

Back in 2022, after fighting his demons that accompanied him since the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, he defended his 200m world title in Eugene, where he celebrated Incredible Hulk-style by ripping open his US vest.

Then, in 2023, on the tracks of Budapest, when Lyles asserted his dominance with sprint triple, he celebrated by waving three fingers in front of the camera. By the time, he concluded his 2023 season, Lyles was certain that he created his moment and there are more such moments to come.  “I truly believe that at some point in another alternative universe if I had won that gold medal, I would have become complacent in my ability, and I wouldn’t have seen as much growth as I have in the last two years.” 

And now, he looks forward to bolster his legacy as an undisputed successor of Usain Bolt. However, by the end of the next four years, the American sprinter might also choose the same path as lightning Bolt when it comes to bidding goodbye to the sport. The Jamaican legend retired in 2017 after the World Championships at the age of 31. He pulled up with a hamstring injury towards the end of the 4x100m relay. 

Though he was presented with an opportunity to return to the track but his coach denied. Talking about this episode, the 8x Olympic medalist stated, “I sat down and I was like ‘he’s not lying!’ Because my times started going backwards because I get injured or it took me a while to get fit. He made a valid point.” Interestingly, Bolt was just 23, when he clocked his 100m personal best (9.58) in 2009 – the record that even after 15 years is undisputed. 

On the other hand, Lyles’ 34-year-old Jamaican counterpart Yohan Blake announced that the 2024 Paris Olympics would be his “last dance.” He stated, “doing the 200, 100, and relays simply takes a lot out of you, so these are the events I want to focus on.” Like Bolt, Blake was also 23 when he recorded his personal best in 100m (9.69) in 2012 and became the joint second fastest man along with Tyson Gay (who also clocked 9.69 seconds in 2009 when he was 27).

Now, at 27, Noah Lyles also eyes to surpass his 100m personal best (9.81) and bring golden victory home with his sprint on tracks of Paris. Though he didn’t confirm his retirement plans yet, looking at the path of his predecessors took, the 27-year-old might appear for his last Olympics sprint. For now, Lyles is focusing on “bringing in a new PR”, and he is hoping that he clocks the fastest time before concluding his Olympics sprint. And, before he hangs his shoes, the Olympian is certain that he is “going to win.”