Noah Lyles is still fresh from his Olympics triumph and he has already gone back to training. Going into Paris creating all the hype and then actually clinching the 100m gold medal with an impressive 9.79s dash is truly remarkable. However, going forward, the American sprinter will surely look to improve his timing so that he does not have to wait for a photofinish decision. 

Beginning his training season in Las Vegas, Lyles decided to document the entire process on his YouTube channel. Alongside coach Lance Brauman, Lyles’ fans got to see exactly how Lyles acquires his speed on the track. However, besides the technical aspects, Lyles and Brauman also discussed a lot more interesting tidbits. One among them was how the coach and Olympic gold medalist ran in with 2X Academy Awards actor Sean Penn. 

At one point in the training, Lyles narrated an interesting story. He mentioned that the Hollywood actor had called him up and urged him to participate in a poker tournament. Lyles initially declined the offer of being tired from attending the Travis Scott concert. But then Penn tried to lure him by mentioning that there was a whopping $1.6 million on offer. Lyles said, “But yeah, he called me out. He was like, “Oh, I can get you into this poker tournament where they got, like, a $1.6 million prize.” I’m like, “I don’t even know how to play poker.”

Surely, Lyles politely declined the offer as he had no idea what to do at a poker table. The Olympian also mentioned how he was very careful with his money and where he was investing it. “What if I go in there? That’s an instant loss. I just threw away money. At that point, I’d just say, “Here, I’m all in.” It’s like, you know you got a bad hand. I have no idea what I have… “Yeah, I’m not a gambler,” said Lyles.

Now speaking of winning big, Lyles did give in to a challenge recently. While he did refuse Penn’s million-dollar offer in poker, the Olympic champion was all in when it came to track and field. Challenging YouTuber IShowSpeed, Noah Lyles, recently won a whopping $100,000! 

Noah Lyles makes merry in a 50-meter gamble

During one of IShowSpeed’s live streams, renowned YouTuber MrBeast called him up with a proposal. He mentioned that if Speed can beat Noah Lyles in a 50-meter dash, there will be $100,000 on offer. While the 19-year-old hesitated initially, he ultimately did accept the offer. Driving for about three hours, Speed reached the designated spot, much to the surprise of both Lyles and MrBeast. 

While the race was expected to be a lopsided affair, after the gun was fired, it was a completely different ball game. Speed showed tremendous grit and determination to match Lyles toe to toe. He also led the Olympic champion at one point in the race. Unfortunately, it was Lyles who had the last laugh as he accelerated towards the end and secured the victory. 

After watching the slow-motion footage, Speed was convinced the race ended in a tie. But instead of owning up to his loss, the YouTuber did what he does best—turned it into a moment. He asked Noah Lyles for some speed tips, hoping to level up his game. Lyles, pocketing a cool $100,000 in prize money, agreed and even threw down a challenge for a proper 100-meter rematch in the future. And, because Speed never misses a chance for drama, he’s now claiming he wants to run the 100m at the 2028 LA Olympics. Ambitious much?

Meanwhile, Lyles has bigger fish to fry. With the new track season around the corner and the 2025 World Championships on the horizon, he’s looking to extend his dominance. If his recent form is anything to go by, we can expect more jaw-dropping wins and maybe even another viral moment or two along the way.