Very few people would be feeling the pressure for the Paris Games like Noah Lyles. The reigning men’s 100m world champ made big promises ahead of the coveted tournament, but fans haven’t really rallied behind them despite his fantastic display of speed in recent months. Instead, Lyles was stunned by how Team USA’s sprinting stars were met with skepticism in light of the Jamaican threat that they would face at the French capital. But Lyles thinks the time for them to shine is finally here.

Noah has been flexing his mental muscles via his recent posts on his YouTube channel. In a post from hours ago, the 27-year-old promised his countrymen that the City of Love will finally be the stage where he will make up for the lost opportunity from three years ago. With the iconic Katie Ledecky sharing the frame with the sprinter, Nah made an emphatic announcement: “America, I promise you this time I’m bringing home gold“. , Noah’s confidence also seems to be sturdier than the last time he appeared at the big rumble with one of the country’s greatest athletes standing in his corner.

Considering that the last time the USA gold in the men’s 100m was when Justin Gatlin clinched the top spot in the race in 2004, Noah’s claim could be the one thing that unites the entire nation in hope. Noah stated last month that he wants to go down in history as “the greatest” of the sport. With that, he also stated that he would be flying to Paris with two primary objectives: an Olympic gold and a world record.

On top of that, earlier this year bringing gold in all four events will be his way to snatch the top spot from Usain Bolt. However, while that may not happen, since Noah hasn’t been named in the 4×400 relay team, he can surely make the most of the opportunities at hand. With the memories from the Far East still fresh in his head, Lyles wrote on his YouTube channel, “What should have been one of the best days of my life turned out to be one of the worst,” after noting how he gave everything to secure a spot in the national team in 2020. But he is fixated on changing the situation on the banks of the Seine.

However, along with proving his own superiority, Lyles might also have a few things on the back of his mind that are giving him the motivation to trample through opponents on the grand stage.

Noah Lyles keeping his head above troubled waters

With Lyles setting his sites on the Jamaican’s high pedestal, he was already the target of several digs from the track and field community. The title of “The Fastest Man” being bestowed on Noah was something that didn’t sit well with many connoisseurs of the sport and they weren’t hesitant to take to social media to express their views on the matter either. Comments like “Man, shut up, you weak!” weren’t too far away and it was evident that the six-time World Championships gold medalist was saddened to hear what even US fans had to say about him and his colleagues. “I was more shocked of, I don’t know…the toxicity from the U.S. on their own people!’” said Noah in response to the comments earlier this month in a YouTube podcast. However, while he continues his struggle to accept online hate with a pinch of salt, Lyles has been more than brilliant leading up to the Olympics.

From winning the 100m race at the Tom Jones Memorial and Bermuda Grand Prix in April to winning gold in the same event at the London Athletics Meet just a week before the Games, Noah has gained incredible momentum. His only loss in the 100m dash came at June’s Racers Grand Prix, where he was handed a defeat by Jamaica’s Oblique Seville. However, that hasn’t derailed Lyles’ quest for golden glory and he went to display equal vigor in 200m races as well. In June, Noah won the 200m sprint at the USATF New York City Grand Prix and won all three races in the distance at the US Team Trials last month. Moreover, the Florida native also entered and won several 60m races this year to improve his 100m times.

With so much preparation put in, it remains to be seen if Noah’s prowess oozes on the tracks when he steps into the arena. But will he be able to dethrone the mighty Usain Bolt of his elite position? We’ll just have to see.