It’s never an easy road to the top. But the view from up there is too enticing to turn a blind eye to it. But Noah Lyles always knew he was destined for the high throne. Despite struggling with asthma as a child, Lyes never shied away from putting in the extra hours to prove his prowess on the tracks. Thanks to that determination over the years, Lyles now proudly boasts the title of The Fastest Man In The World. And he couldn’t be happier with how his life turned out.

Lyles beat Jamaica’s Kishane Thompson in a photo-finish to clinch gold in the men’s 100m race at the 2024 Paris Olympics. It was a moment that made fans gasp and made for a story worthy of the history books. But he knows how Herculean of a feat it was on his part to pick a win.

Noah Lyles is all smiles about his time in the City of Love

From Usain Bolt to Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, Jamaica is home to a long list of elite runners. Their history has proved their widespread dominance in sprinting events on international stages for decades. Only a handful thought someone like Noah could bring that spree to a halt. Nevertheless, he proved the naysayers wrong and recently sat down with The Philadelphia Inquirer to discuss the end of Jamaican supremacy. In an article by the newspaper from September 26, Lyles grinned broadly. He aimed to look calm as he talked about it, but his inner glee could hardly go unnoticed.

On being asked how it feels to be the first-ever American Olympic gold medalist in the men’s 100m event since the great Justin Gatlin, Lyles noted how accepting Jamaica as the undisputed star of the show became a norm growing up. “I remember my days when I was watching track and field with my dad — he ran during the 90s — it was all about the U.S. bringing home all the medals, especially in the 100-meter race. But then it was just Jamaican, and Jamaican, and Jamaican,” stated Lyles about how things changed during his most formative years. And that’s all he needed to look for some extra motivation.

“I was like OK, we need to bring this back home. This needs to be ours,” the Virginia native how he felt the need to step up looking at the Jamaicans running away with the top spot every single time. But he also knew that it had to be him to do it. Looking back at his Parisian triumph, Lyles confessed that he related with one of the most iconic supervillains of all time. “It was almost like a Thanos moment, if you want something done right then you need to do it yourself,” grinned Lyles. And he has all the reasons to feel ecstatic.

An arduous trek to the summit

In the months leading up to the 33rd Games, Lyles bagged several wins to prove that would fly to Paris to take Bolt’s pedestal. From the World Athletics Indoor Championships to the USA Olympic Team Trials, the 26-year-old was winning races left and right. Moreover, he even made it apparent that the 100m gold could also come under his radar. This would be in addition to possibly winning the same in the 200m as well which was his forte. To get better in the 100m, Lyles entered several 60m races this year. The American went toe-to-toe with the likes of Christian Coleman, a bona fide specialist in the shorter distance. But Lyles wasn’t messing about and he didn’t let defeat affect his next race.

When Thompson nabbed the world lead at the Jamaican National Trials, almost everyone earmarked his country to deprive the USA of the top prize in the 100m once again. But Lyles managed to keep his head in the game, and the duo came with a genuine nail-biter in the final race at the French capital last month. With eyes set on the LA28 for now, it remains to be seen when Lyles returns to the tracks. When do you we’re likely to see Noah defend his title? Tell us with a comment.