Noah Lyles setting a new personal best just before the Olympics talks about striking while the iron’s hot! Heading into the Paris Games, Lyles has never been faster, and for that, he’s over the moon. On July 20th, just six days before the Olympics kick off, the American world champion set a scorching personal best in the 100 meters, clocking a blistering 9.81 seconds. Even though Lyles fell behind his rivals at the start but then turned on the jets, powering past the field over the last 50 meters.

Akani Simbine of South Africa was second in 9.86 and Letsile Tebogo of Botswana was third in 9.88, with the top five finishers all breaking the 10-second mark.“I could have had a better start. I’ve been having a lot better starts in practice,” Lyles said. “A PB and getting faster before Paris. I wanted to dip under the 9.80 – I thought I was going to get a wind like everyone else.”

But here’s the twister: Lyles’ previous best was a 9.83, set at last year’s World Championships in Budapest, where he clinched gold in the 100 meters, 200 meters, and 4×100 relay, and later matched at the U.S. Olympic Trials last month. After his victory, Lyles remarked, “ I know exactly where I am ahead of Paris. I knew we’d be getting more eyes on us, I’ve been waiting for this for six years!”

He further added, “I live for the biggest moments, the more eyes the better I perform. As soon as I get on the stage when the TV is on and people are watching, I perform. I’m very excited for the relay, we’ve all been together talking about the World Record but we’ve got to get those sticks around and we’ve got to get them around cleanly and that’s what we’ve been doing the most – communicating.” But can he really break records at Paris and take gold?

Let’s take a look at Lyles’ progress this year. On April 13th, he ran the 100 meters in 10.01 seconds. By April 28th, he improved to 9.96 seconds. On June 1st, he further reduced his time to 9.92 seconds, and by June 23rd, he clocked 9.83 seconds. Today, he’s achieved an impressive 9.81 seconds, showing a clear trend of improvement. Given this trajectory, it’s likely he could run below 9.80 seconds soon. So, the big question remains: Can Lyles truly break Usain Bolt’s record?

Noah Lyles’ journey from Bolt’s Shadow to Olympic stardom

Ever since Usain Bolt set world records in the 100 and 200 meters in 2009 and left a huge void in sprinting when he retired in 2017, no other athlete has been able to break those records. Then came Noah Lyles, who has been making waves since Bolt’s retirement. It started when he clinched a World Championship gold and an Olympic bronze. With his impressive 19.31 in the 200 metres at the 2022 World Athletics Championships in Eugene, Lyles now aims to break the mold and chase Bolt’s legendary records at the Paris 2024 Olympics.

Even though Noah Lyles has already achieved milestones in athletics, his ultimate goal remains to become the greatest sprinter of all time. After winning the 200 meters at the US Olympic Team Trials 2024, Lyles articulated his ambition clearly. “When you reach the top, you start asking yourself, ‘What do I need to do to be considered the greatest when I leave the sport?’ he said. For Lyles, this means winning an Olympic gold and setting a new world record. “Grabbing a world record is one of two things I still need to do: winning an Olympic gold and then breaking a world record.”

Heading into the Paris 2024 Olympics, Noah Lyles will face tough competition. He’ll compete against Tokyo 2020 champions Marcell Jacobs and Andre De Grasse, as well as Jamaican sprinters Kishane Thompson and Oblique Seville. Rising African stars Ferdinand Omanyala and Letsile Tebogo will also be in the mix. Additionally, he has to contend with American teammates Kenny Bednarek and Fred Kerley.

In the 100 meters, Jamaican sprinters are currently leading the pack with the season best. Kishane Thompson holds the fastest time with a personal best of 9.77 seconds. Ferdinand Omanyala has run 9.79 seconds, and Oblique Seville is close behind with a time of 9.82 seconds. To come out on top, Lyles will need to outpace Thompson,making it a race that’s neck and neck.

While, Lyles aims to surpass the world records of 9.58 seconds in the 100 meters and 19.19 seconds in the 200 meters. Lyles embraces the challenge of overcoming Usain Bolt’s records and values the hard work involved. “What’s winning without a crowd? What’s winning without competition or hardship?” he pondered. “It’s the hard things that I want to go after.” With his sights set high for Paris 2024, Lyles is ready to make his mark. Do you think he can break the records in the Paris Olympics?