You’d think winning an Olympic gold medal is a pretty big deal, right? It turns out, Noah Lyles’ hometown seems to agree too! The reigning world champion had one goal leading up to Paris. He wanted to redeem himself from the heartbreaking third-place finish in Tokyo. After talking a big game, he proved everyone wrong by scorching to the finish line in 9.79 seconds. The best part was that he edged out Kishane Thompson for his first-ever gold medal. 

But when it was time to replicate that energy in the 200m finals, the sprinter fell short. His time of 19.70 seconds was no match to Letsile Tebogo, who blazed past his competitors. With an African record of 19.46 seconds, the Botswanan clinched his nation’s maiden Olympic medal. But the American walked away with another bronze medal, ending his Parisian stint on shaky grounds. But the citizens of Alexandria couldn’t wait to celebrate him!

Noah Lyles graduated from Alexandria City High School in 2016. However, he returned to his Alma mater on September 22. The sprinter received a homecoming worthy of a hero. In fact, he even shared a glimpse of the parade on X, captioned, “It’s a parade in my city yeah.” Numerous fans lined up to catch a glimpse of the Olympian. How did this come about? The official X account of the City of Alexandria posted an RVSP for the event. 

The 27-year-old rode in on a convertible as the high school band led the procession. The city’s official X account shared a few snaps from the day. After the parade, the Olympian made his way to the very tracks, where he achieved his earliest successes. Everyone eventually headed over to the high school’s gymnasium. The city’s mayor, Justin Wilson, presented the sprinter with a proclamation. “We are here to celebrate Alexandria excellence. We are so proud of what you have used your platform to do,” he stated. 

Noah Lyles addressed his fans present, “I thank you for this wonderful moment.” The 27-year-old reiterated how important his hometown’s support has been throughout his journey. “Not everybody has that opportunity,” he said. By the looks of it, everyone present had fun, and this would be an integral part of Alexandria’s track and field history. However, as wholesome as this moment was, it did get some flak from a few fans.

Noah Lyles’ homecoming failed to impress the Track and Field community

The 27-year-old had to cut his stint short at Stade de France. But even though he drew the curtains on this season, his hometown wanted to give him a parade fitting for a king. However, several fans couldn’t help but notice it lacked a certain flair. The Olympian’s achievements have helped put the city on the map. But many believed the celebration didn’t seem to match that energy.

One fan pointed out, “This supposed to be a parade ? boi the SEC be having bigger parades than this for they softball teams lmaoo” Noah Lyles did prove his mettle on the world’s biggest stage. Another fan chimed in, “I had RSVP and I forgot all about it 🫣🫣🫣🫣” So we understand the expectation of a much bigger gathering for an achievement as big as that.

However, Noah Lyles addressed in a separate tweet how this was very last minute. The city recruited over 30 volunteers in a short time for the event. Seeing how they weren’t that prepared, it’s not surprising that a bigger crowd didn’t show up to witness the Olympian’s time back in his hometown.

Paris 2024 Olympics – Athletics – Men’s 200m Final – Stade de France, Saint-Denis, France – August 08, 2024. Noah Lyles of United States reacts after winning bronze before receiving medical attention. REUTERS/Sarah Meyssonnier TPX IMAGES OF THE DAYA fan stated, “Considering the crowd that showed up during Tebogo’s crowd, the fans of Noah should be ashamed of themselves. Is this how you treat your hero!!” Noah Lyles had brought home 2 Olympic medals, the same as Letsile Tebogo. So, we get why this fan is frustrated. Another fan agreed, “It’s no 30 thousand.” The 21-year-old did the unthinkable and clinched his nation’s first-ever Olympic medal. The procession he received is incomparable. 

When the Botswanan reached the airport, a water salute commenced. In fact, several fans filled up the Sir Seretse Khama International Airport. Then the athletes were escorted to an open-top bus, which paraded around the city. They even go to meet the president, Mokgsweetsi Masisi. The nation even celebrated a half-day public holiday in their honor. The kicker? Over 30,000 fans filled up the national stadium. Now, that’s how you celebrate your Olympian.

One fan exclaimed, “Wow a lot of people there to greet the fastest man in the world this year.” From the pictures alone, it might not look like a huge gathering. We get why this fan took a slight dig at the parade. Most of the images Lyles shared solely focused on what he did throughout the day. 

But by the looks of the images shared on the city’s official X account, we can see a gaggle of fans come together to welcome the local hero. In fact, over a thousand onlookers, fans, and a handful of journalists from Alexandria and the region made their way to the Alexandria City High School. It might not have been as massive as the ceremony Letsile Tebogo had, but Noah Lyles looked like he had a wonderful time. Do you believe his homecoming wasn’t as extravagant?