With one of the biggest sporting events of the year, the Summer Olympics set to kick off this year in Paris, the athletes have started preparing themselves. One athlete who will have the major spotlight is American sprinter Noah Lyles who is aiming to leave a huge mark.
Noah Lyles, the 26-year-old sprinter had a memorable time at the World Athletics Championship in Budapest, Hungary last summer. He would led Team USA to a sweep of the 100 m, 200 m and 4×100 m races. Lyles has now revealed his ‘dream goal‘ for this year.
Recently, Lyles took part in an interview with Fox News. In this, the American International shed light on his stunning “World Champion of What?” comments and the backlash he received from it.
Lyles though kept the focus on the future and not the past. Despite winning three gold medals in 2023 World Athletics Championship, he is not satisfied and wants four medals and has Usain Bolt‘s legendary record in his sights for the Paris Games.
The 26-year-old now wants to break the 19.19 record of Bolt set during the 2009 World Athletics. At the moment the Jamaican legend holds the record in both 100 m and 200 m races.
It's the dream goal. It’s the first world record that I kind of put up as ‘I want that to be mine,' Noah Lyles as per Fox News.
For a long while, Lyles has been tipped to be his successor, so what better way there would be do this by breaking his 200 m record. His best record in this race is 19.31, still a bit far from breaking the record of Bolt though.
Noah Lyles labels being black athlete as reason for representing USA with heavy heart
At the 2024 Paris Olympics, the pressure to deliver in track and field events will definitely be on Noah Lyles. Since his debut in this field, he has dominated several races and has achieved several accolades. He though left a huge remark on representing the United States and claimed he does that with a “heavy heart” and labeled being a black athlete as the reason for it.
Speaking in the interview with Fox News, Lyles said:
It’s a bittersweet moment. I’m American, and I truly believe that we are the best in the world, especially when it comes to sports... But at the same time, it’s with a heavy heart, because being Black in America, there’s a lot to deal with. Noah Lyles on representing USA.
Despite the bold statement, Noah Lyles wants to put his best foot and try and win gold medals for his country and make them proud. The Olympian also claimed he would like to be the face of this sport in the upcoming future. If Lyles is able to replicate the heroics of last year and bring home gold medals again, he could achieve his wish and become the G.O.A.T of American sprinters.
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