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Being a showman beyond just an athlete, Lyles has explained the path Usain Bolt took that he wants to emulate in order to achieve a specific target.
Noah Lyles has made it clear that his ambitions extend beyond the track as he looks to emulate the legendary Usain Bolt.
Bolt recently opened up about his iconic career, his rivalry with American sprinter Justin Gatlin, and the current generation of sprinters led by world 100m champion Lyles.
“I think the guys are really doing well and it’s intense…it’s not going to be easy because I think Noah feels like it was easy running two events but it wasn’t,” Bolt said in an interview in May.
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10:49 - 29.07.2024
Singapore surpass USA, Spain to offer highest prize money to podium finishers at Paris Olympic
Singapore will offer about Ksh97 million to their gold medallists, more than 10 times what the US will be awarding their athletes with some countries having no prize money to offer their athletes.
“I’ve said it before and I’m going to repeat that it’s never easy running back-to-back events and then going to break a world record because the body runs out of energy.
“I think the possibility is there because he came close to the world record at the World Championships. I feel like if he corrects a few things that I won’t say, he could get better because the possibility is there. I won’t tell you how to break the world record.”
Lyles acknowledged the praise from Bolt and, given his similar desire to thrive off a crowd and public opinion, is determined to emulate and possibly outshine the Jamaican sprinting icon.
"Usain Bolt has done it, and him saying to me that he sees what I am doing and he respects it, it is amazing," Lyles said after winning the London Diamond League 100m in an interview with AFP.
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06:47 - 29.07.2024
Retired sprinter reveals a skill Kishane Thompson & Noah Lyles have in common as Paris Olympics clash looms
The retired Olympic medallist singled out one aspect that Noah Lyles and Kishane Thompson share ahead of the Paris Olympic Games.
Lyles aspires to transcend being "track-famous." "I want people to see me on the track, but in GQ and my docu-series, and realize I'm a cool guy too," he said.
Targeting four medals at the Paris Olympics, Lyles plans on winning the 100m, 200m, the 4x100m relay, and the 4x400m relay, which he ran at the World Indoor Championships in Glasgow last month.
His selection for the 4x400m relay at the World Indoors, after claiming 60m silver behind teammate Christian Coleman, sparked accusations of favoritism against the US federation.
"Let's just say a lot of people in the US were very, very, very upset that I ran the 4x400 and to that I would say, 'run faster, push me out!'" Lyles said.
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19:37 - 26.07.2024
Justin Gatlin on the technical improvements Noah Lyles has made after setting 100m PB ahead of Olympics
Lyles set a new personal record of 9.81 at the London Diamond League last weekend, and is now looking in good shape to clinch the gold medal at the Paris Olympics.
Bolt retired from the sport in 2017 with 11 world and eight Olympic golds. Lyles, whose Budapest sprint double was the first since Bolt's at the Beijing World Championships in 2015, is keen to follow Bolt’s path in building a brand beyond athletics.
"Medals are the first step because then people pay attention to you. Then you can go into different directions: fashion, music. You can start collaborating with other people, artists and the world."
For Lyles, maintaining his winning streak into the Paris Olympics is crucial to sustaining public interest. Like Bolt, his strength and allure lie in his ability to dominate and win multiple gold medals at global championships.
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