The world watched as track and field star Noah Lyles made his mark at the 2024 Paris Olympics. If you tuned in for the men’s 100m final, you saw a race so close it had everyone on edge. Kishane Thompson was ahead for most of the race, and it looked like he’d take the gold. But then, in the final stretch, Lyles pulled off a lean that snatched the win in a literal photo finish. The whole thing was wild, and even Lyles was shocked, admitting he thought Thompson had won. But his victory wasn’t just about timing or a lucky break—it was about what he’d done to prepare for this moment.

But wait, speaking of luck—if you’ve ever thought that athletes like Lyles just get lucky, think again. Lyles is here to shut down that idea. While many might believe in luck or destiny, Lyles has a whole different view on how success happens. And trust us, it’s way more grounded than you’d expect.

Lyles doesn’t believe in luck, he believes in hard work

Noah Lyles is not one to rely on chance, as is largely believed for him. In fact, he’s pretty clear about where he stands when it comes to “luck.” “I don’t really believe in luck all that much,” Lyles said while co-hosting the podcast— Beyond the Records. “I believe in God and I believe in preparing for the moment.” You can see it in his approach: every win, every challenge, and every moment of glory didn’t come from some lucky break. It was earned through a lot of prep and hard work, as detailed by his coach, Lance Brauman, before the Paris Olympics.

Both Brauman and Lyles laid great emphasis on strength training while preparing for the Paris Olympics. The extra strength gained from such training would facilitate Lyles to apply more force into the track, which in turn will improve his start and acceleration. And we all know how that turned out. 

In the 100m final, Lyles clocked 9.784 seconds– even his personal best. This enabled him to win by just 0.005 seconds over his Jamaican opponent. And it is a fact that Lyles wasn’t just competing against Thompson; he was up against a whole field of elite athletes. This wasn’t a race with easy opponents, and Lyles made that clear when he reflected on the win.

“It’s the one I wanted, it’s the hard battle, it’s the amazing opponents. I didn’t do this against a slow field – I did this against the best of the best, on the biggest stage, with the biggest pressure,” he said in an interview with Reuters. Lyles became the first American male Olympic Champion in a 100m race since Justin Gatlin in 2004. So, for Lyles, this wasn’t just about running fast—it was about setting up for success, making sure every step was taken with purpose.

And that’s how Lyles approaches everything. “Every time I look at a situation, it’s like I am gonna prepare with each step I take. Whether that’s diet, whether that’s mentally, whether that’s the team around me…” It’s this mindset that separates him from others, and it’s not just about the race; it’s about being ready for every challenge that comes his way.

It’s about more than just the gold

Now, let’s talk about that gold medal. Of course, winning gold was a huge deal for Lyles. But for him, it’s never been just about the medal. “At the end of the day, to be honest, the gold medal in my head was always the stepping stone to do what I really wanted, which is always creating. I love to create. I love to build. I love moments. The Olympics is a moment, and like, you said, it’s one moment, and it only comes around every four years. Why not make it the best moment anybody has ever seen?” Lyles explained. 

The heartbreak that the Rio Olympics was for the 27-year-old, where he made it to the 200 m semi-finals but couldn’t advance from his first 100-meter heat, he made sure to leave no stone unturned around this time. As a result, he did make this Olympic run a successful one as he also grabbed a bronze medal in the men’s 200-meter. That, too, he did it after testing positive for COVID-19 just two days after his big 100-meter win. Maybe, just maybe, he could’ve recorded better results had he not caught the virus. 

Further, he added, “Everybody knows how to run, but what makes it special that it’s gonna make you remember me when I do win.” Lyles doesn’t just want to cross the finish line first—he wants you to remember how he did it, to remember the experience, to remember him. Well, all we gotta say is: checked!

But why does it matter so much? “I want this because if I don’t, then by the time I look back, I want to at least say that I accomplished all these things, and that’s basically what happened,” he said. It’s not about a fleeting victory; it’s about a legacy that lasts and he creates something that people can look back on and say, wow, that was something special.

Forget luck—this guy’s here to prove that hard work, mental strength, and the drive to build something bigger than himself are what really make the difference. It’s not just the “0.005-second” luck, it’s bigger than that! What’s your take? Comment below!