3 incredible achievements of Noah Lyles between Tokyo Olympics and Paris Olympics 2024 ft. 200m American record

Noah Lyles met with heartbreak at the Tokyo Olympics when he failed to win the 200m race where he was a favorite, but the American has gone on to achieve many stunning feats since then. He's improved his shorter sprints drastically, dabbled in the 400m, and set sky-high goals for himself.

Now, as he heads into the Paris Olympics, the 26-year-old is a more dominant sprinter than before and a favorite to clinch multiple medals. With that, here's a look at his best accomplishments these past four years.

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#3. Breaking the 150m American record

Noah Lyles tied the 150m American record in 2024 (Source: GETTY)

Between the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and now, Noah Lyles has seen a drastic improvement in his shorter sprints. While he was always a dominant force in the 200m, slight technical improvements in his start have seen the American become more of an all-rounder. He re-established his status as a dual threat in early 2024 when he stormed to the 150m national record.

Racing at the Atlanta City Games on May 18, Lyles clocked 14.41s, tying Tyson Gay’s 2010 performance from Manchester. A part of this improvement in the sprinter’s 150m times could also be credited to his early effort in the season to fine-tune the first 60 meters of his race, where he was previously lacking when compared to his fellow 100m runners.

Lyles began 2024 by competing indoors, racing the 60m at the New Balance Indoor Grand Prix where he set a world lead of 6.44 seconds. He later went on to win the U.S Indoor Championships with a personal best of 6.43 seconds, before settling for silver on his debut at the World Indoor Championships.

#2. 2023 World Championships treble

Noah Lyles completed a treble at the 2023 World Athletics Championships (Source: GETTY)

Noah Lyles came into the 2023 World Athletics Championships as a two-time champion, but his resume was limited to the 200m. Before his outing in Budapest, the 26-year-old hadn't ever raced the 100m at the World Championships, let alone make it to a podium.

However, all of that changed last August. While the American was already a favorite to win the 200m, he proved exactly how versatile he was when he stormed to the World Championship title in the 100m with a personal best of 9.83 seconds. In the process, he bested Botswana's Letsile Tebogo and Britain's Zharnel Hughes.

Five days after this, Lyles successfully defended his 200m crown, claiming the World Championship in that particular event for the third time. With this, he overtook Michael Johnson and Calvin Smith to become the second most successful 200 sprinter at the World Championships, behind only Usain Bolt and his four gold medals.

A day after his heroics in the 200m, the American stormed to the 4x100m relay gold, making him the first man since Bolt to achieve the elusive sprint treble.

#1. Breaking the 200m American record

Noah Lyles in action at the 2022 World Athletics Championships (Source: GETTY)

While Noah Lyles' 100m performances are extraordinary, the American’s 200m sprints will always remain his tour de force. After heartbreak at the Tokyo Olympics which saw him miss out on a gold, the sprinter returned stronger at the 2022 World Championships.

Running on home ground at Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon, Lyles clocked 19.31 seconds in the finals, setting a new personal best and breaking Michael Johnson’s 1996 American record of 19.32 seconds. This also marked the fourth-fastest 200m run in the history of the event and made him the third-fastest man in the world behind Bolt and Yohan Blake.

Noah Lyles’ 2022 season was phenomenal even beyond the American record and the World Championship gold. He went unbeaten in the 200m the entire year and dipped under the 20-second mark each time he raced the distance.