Paris Olympics: Has Noah Lyles Taken the Biggest Gamble of His Career?

2024 may very well shape up to be a make-or-break year for Noah Lyles. He seems to be in a rich vein of form as evident from his efforts at the Florida Collegiate Invitational, the New Balance Indoor Nationals, and Glasgow 2024. While this may be momentarily something to rejoice for the track and field world, 2023 saw him opt out of many pivotal events. But ahead of the Paris Olympics, Lyles has taken a decision that could have a bearing on Team USA’s prospects at the marquee event.

In Glasgow, the 60m, outside his comfort zone, saw him blaze through to the finish line clinching a silver with a time of 6.44. The esteemed Glasgow 2024 was a party to his mettle as he led Team USA to a silver medal in the 4×400 meters relay. But considering he’ll be giving it his all at the London Athletics Meet 2024, an event slated to take place just six days before the Olympics, the question is how much he will have left in the tank when the Games begin. What if he gets injured? This could cost Team USA heavily, considering he’s their most robust asset.

Team USA did falter a little bit with Lyles abruptly ending his season last year, after what seemed to be an anticlimactic finish to his performance at the World Athletics Championships. He clinched the sprint treble and proclaimed -“And with that I say goodbye to the 2023 season!” on X. This meant he sat out the Diamond League final in Eugene. He still was very effusive about his three world championship titles from the same year, once again reinforcing our belief in him.

Earlier last year, Lyles also withdrew from the Silesia Diamond League after he claimed that he had been sick since the New York Grand Prix and had COVID. Notably, he has seen the most fame and reverence in his hallowed presence at his innumerable Diamond League appearances. His symbiotic relationship dates back to him winning his first ever Diamond League title in 2017 with a gold and a time of 19.90 in the 200m. 2018 was his year too as he closed off the Diamond League with a second consecutive gold in the 200m with a 19.69.

2019 was a double delight for the prodigy as he clinched the coveted gold in the 200m in both the 100 and the 200m respectively with times of 9.86 and 19.50. 2022 saw him get gold in a record time of 19.72. It’s worth highlighting that Lyles is just two titles away from matching Renaud Lavillenie and Christian Taylor’s joint record of seven career diamond trophies.

Noah Lyles is set to compete in the 100m event at this upcoming London Diamond meet. In last season’s Diamond League, he blazed through the 200m in an astonishing 19.47 seconds in London. Lyles then clinched “the triple” at the World Athletics Championships in Budapest, securing gold medals in the 100m, 200m, and 4x100m relay. Reflecting on his experience, he remarked, “The atmosphere in the London Stadium was incredible and I could feel the energy coming from the crowd. I always want to give something special to all those who come out to support us.“

With track and field fraught with a lot of injuries and wear and tear, it will be crucial to Team USA’s hopes that Lyles makes it to Paris unscathed. In the build-up to the games a lot of athletes have already had their dreams shattered.

Noah Lyles to pull an American heist with major names sitting out of Paris?

With Noah Lyles looking to bask in the glory of his impending victories in Paris, the pertinent question remains. How many athletes are going to retire hurt or be relieved from duty this year? For one, we have a star from India – Murali Sreeshankar. He was on the last leg of his journey, pun intended, when he suffered an unfortunate knee injury.

Venezuelan triple jump athlete, Yulimar Rojas too will be sitting this one out due to an Achilles tendon injury.

U.S. swimmer Kathleen Baker, undergoing rehabilitation in a hospital for her herniated disk, might be a no-show too. Fellow American, Sara Hall, a notable runner, has relinquished a spot at the Paris Olympics. The IT Band Syndrome-afflicted runner had her knee popped too. In these circumstances, Noah Lyles will be one of Team USA’s biggest hopes for success in Paris.

2024 saw his training regimen and on-track performance at its zenith at the New Balance Indoor Nationals in February setting a new meet record. He blazed through to the finish line with a time of 6.44 seconds, leaving behind Ackeem Blake in the lurch with 6.54 sec respectively. This was also, coincidentally, the fastest time of the year thus far.

Now, as the countdown to the Games intensifies, the 26-year-old athlete exudes unwavering confidence, firmly believing that nothing will impede his quest for Olympic glory in Paris. As Lyles declared, ‘This ain’t 2021, this is 2024.’ With a mantra of ‘Same Animal Different Beast,’ he sets his sights on a remarkable feat: targeting a quadruple of gold medals in Paris, aiming to conquer the 100m, 200m, 4x100m, and 4x400m events. He will be taking a gamble representing Team USA at the London Meet, but such is the price to pay for greatness.