"He is the crazy scientist who brought new way of thinking to my starting blocks" - Noah Lyles pays heartfelt tribute to Ralph Mann

Noah Lyles shared a heartfelt note for the late Ralph Mann who passed away last week. The former American sprinter was part of the Olympic champion's coaching setup and helped him improve his block starts.

Lyles shared a heartwarming for Mann on his YouTube channel and credited the former world record holder for improving his block starts, which he claimed made him a better 60m runner and eventually led him to the 100m Olympic title in Paris.

"For those who don’t know who this is, this is Ralph Mann!," he said sharing a picture of himself with the late coach

"An Olympian and former world Record holder But that’s not why I know him. I know Ralph because he is the crazy scientist that helped me and my coach turn me into the athlete I am today. He brought a new way of thinking to my starting blocks that help me to become a great 60m runner and 100m Olympic Champion. I will forever be grateful for the love and support he showed me and for sharing his craft I will forever remember you. RIP Ralph and THANK YOU🙏🕊️," Noah Lyles added

Noah Lyles pays tribute to Ralph Mann

Lyles has indeed seen improvement in his starting blocks over the last couple of years with the 27-year-old breaking his personal bests multiple times in both 60m and 100m sprints last year. He made a big leap from 6.51s to 6.43s in the 60m last year while taking 0.04s off of his 100m personal best as well.

Meanwhile, Mann was one of the best 400m hurdlers of his generation and held the fastest time in the event at sea level in 1972 when he also won a silver medal at the Olympic Games. He also won three NCAA titles in his career and was the world record holder in the 440 yards hurdles.

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Noah Lyles to start the 2025 season in the 60m at the New Balance Indoor Grand Prix

Athletics - Olympic Games Paris 2024: Noah Lyles during podium ceremony - Source: Getty

Noah Lyles is slated to start his 2025 track and field season at the New Balance Indoor Grand Prix on February 2. The 27-year-old will compete over the 60m distance, looking to win his fourth consecutive title at the event.

Lyles announced his massive improvement in the starting blocks in 2024 at the same event in February, clocking a massive 6.44s to win the race after never having run faster than 6.51s in his career. He went on to beat the 60m world record holder Christian Coleman for the U.S. National title, clocking another lifetime best of 6.43s.

However, he settled for silver behind Coleman at the World Indoor Championships and later said the defeat had lit up a fire inside him. The Olympic champion will now look to avenge the loss in the 2025 season, and it would be a perfect tribute to the man behind his improved block start starts, Ralph Mann, if he manages to win the world title.