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Noah Lyles has already established himself as one of the top sprinters in US track and field history. He is currently the fourth-fastest 200m sprinter in the world with the second-best national record timing of 19.50 seconds. Noah Lyles is the current world no.1 men's 200m sprinter as well.
The 24-year-old recorded his first win of 2021 at the USATF Golden Games in California. He won the 200m sprint with a timing of 19.91 seconds. At the US Olympic Track and Field Trails 2021, Noah Lyles set his season's best timing at 19.74 seconds in 200m and qualified for his debut summer Games at the Tokyo Olympics 2020 by winning the race.
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Who is Noah Lyles?
Noah Lyles comes from a family of athletes residing in Gainesville, Florida, USA. His parents, Kevin Lyles and Keisha Caine, are former track and field athletes. His father was a 1993 Summer Universiade Gold-medalist in the 4x100m and his mother was a 9-time national and 2-time NCAA champion in the 4x100m.
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Noah was pursuing his interest in the gymnasium until he decided to switch to track and field at the age of 12. As a child, he battled asthma and while studying in middle school he fought depression. In 2014, Noah enrolled at T.C. Williams High School, where his athletic talent was spotted by Michael Hughes, who took him under his wings.
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Which college did Noah Lyles go to?
The University of Florida offered scholarships to Noah Lyles and his younger Josephus Lyles but instead, they walked away from the offer and turned professional athletes directly after graduating from high school by signing with Adidas.
Noah Lyles's first professional debut was the 2016 US Olympic Track and Field Trials, where he finished fourth in the 200m sprint and as a result, he couldn't make the cut for the Rio Olympics. However, Noah Lyles was selected to represent the USA at the World U20 Athletics Championships that year.
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Noah Lyles's gold medal at the World Athletics Championships
Noah Lyles was selected to represent the USA at the 2019 World Athletics Championships after being crowned the 200m national champion at the US National Athletics Championships.
Noah Lyles first came to prominence after emerging as world champion in the men's 200m sprint with a timing of 19.83 seconds at the World Athletics Championships. This was followed up by another world title in the men's 4x100m relay by clocking 37.10 seconds. Noah Lyles withdrew from the 100m to focus on the 200m.
Read: Athletes who almost broke the world records at US Olympic Track and Field Trials 2021
Who will be Noah Lyles's top challengers at the Tokyo Olympics 2020?
Though the two-time world champion is considered one of the favorites to win Olympic gold at the quadrennial event in Japan, Noah Lyles will face stiff competition.
Canada's Andre De Grasse, Yohan Blake of Jamaica and compatriot Erriyon Knight are the main rivals for Noah Lyles in the men's 200m event at the Tokyo Olympics 2020. The Canadian sprinter, a silver-medalist at the 2016 Rio Olympics, will be eyeing gold this time.
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Yohan Blake is another top contender who is likely to pose a threat to Noah Lyles at the Tokyo Olympics 2020. The second-fastest sprinter in the world will be eyeing double Olympic gold in 100m and 200m at the quadrennial event in Japan.
Rising star Erriyon Knight will probably hog the limelight at the Tokyo Olympics 2020. The 17-year-old has shattered the U18 and U20 world records of Jamaican sprint legend Usain Bolt. Erriyon Knight qualified for his Olympic debut after setting a world junior record in 200m (19.84s) at the US Olympic Track and Field Trials 2021.
