Noah Lyles knows how to back up his talk.
The 27-year-old sprinter became the first American to win gold in the men’s 100-meter since Justin Gatlin did so in 2004.
Lyles took home the victory in an epic photo finish in which he won by five-thousandths of a second. It was his first Olympic gold.
Lyles is best known for his colorful personality and one who wears his emotions on his sleeve; before the opening ceremony, he wrote “ICON” on his nails (again talking the talk and walking the walk).
But what most people don’t know is the struggles he’s been through, and he used that as motivation to, well, anyone who needs it.
“I have Asthma, allergies, dyslexia, ADD, anxiety, and Depression. But I will tell you that what you have does not define what you can become. Why Not You!” Lyles posted on Sunday evening (early Monday morning in Paris).
Lyles crossed the finish line in 9.79784 seconds, a personal best. When the result was official, he had seven words: “America, I told you, I got this!” Amazingly, he was tied for the worst reaction time, and he was even in last place at the 40-meter mark.
It was the fifth gold medal won by Americans on Sunday (golfer Scottie Scheffler, cyclist Kristen Faulkner, swimmer Bobby Finke and the women’s 4×100 medley relay team).
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Lyles now turns his focus on the 200-meter (he’s said his “dream goal” is to break Usain Bolt’s world record of 19.19) and the 4×100-meter relay.
Track legend Carl Lewis recently told Fox News Digital that the sport “needs” Lyles to dominate these games.
“I think the sport needs someone like him that’s a champion. He’s the defending champion, the fastest man in the world right now, and we need someone to grab onto. I think he’s the perfect guy to do that, and I’m excited about that,” Lewis told Fox News Digital in a recent interview.
“I think track does better when we do have a superstar. That’s why I think if Noah were to win, he would elevate the sport as well. As opposed to saying, ‘I wonder who’s going to win,’ people want to say, ‘I want him’ or ‘I don’t want him.’ They want to root for someone or root against someone. I think it creates more intensity when you have someone that dominates, and that’s been throughout history. … People have really gravitated to the sport when people really dominated more.”
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