“I didn’t grow up as a confident kid”- When Noah Lyles opened up about his childhood hardships after winning the gold medal at the Paris Olympics

Noah Lyles opened up about his childhood hardships in a post-race interview at the Paris Olympics. The athlete won two medals at the 2024 Summer Games - one gold and one bronze.

Lyles dominated the 100m dash and proved his prowess in the event. He was involved in a head-to-head showdown with Jamaican athlete Kishane Thompson. Lyles stood atop the podium after clocking a time of 9.79s, while Thompson claimed second place, leaving behind Fred Kerley, who secured a third-place finish in the event.

After winning gold, the American opened up about his childhood journey that helped him become "comfortable with the uncomfortable." He shared he did not grow up as a very confident child, but he learned from his mistakes and created a mindset.

"It takes years to build it up. I wouldn't say I grew up as a confident kid. I'd say that I have over the years, I had to grow, learn from my mistakes, be able to take a mindset into hard situations. I got very comfortable with the uncomfortable," Lyles explained.

Lyles then competed in the 200m dash while he tested positive for COVID-19. He achieved a third-place finish by clocking 19.70s and was bested by Letsile Tebogo and Kenny Bednarek, who recorded 19.46s and 19.62s, respectively. This was the end of Lyles' journey at the Paris Olympics.

"I'm the wolf amongst wolves" - Noah Lyles on winning a gold medal at the Paris Olympics

Noah Lyles gave a photo finish to the 100m dash at the Paris Olympics after a terrific showdown with Kishane Thompson. Following the win, the American reflected on his performance. He said he wanted to prove himself while also praising his competitors.

"It's the one I wanted. It's the hard battle, it's the amazing opponents," said Noah Lyles. Everybody's healthy, everybody came prepared for the fight and I wanted to prove that I'm the man amongst all of them. I'm the wolf amongst wolves," he was quoted as saying by the Hindu.

"And I was fully prepared to see his name pop up and to see my name pop up, I'm like goodness gracious. I'm incredible. It's been a rollercoaster, ups and downs. I'm usually a guy who likes to come out blazing in all my rounds, especially in the 200m. But the 100m, it's my first time here on the Olympic stage," Lyles added.

After his Olympic exploits, Noah Lyles returned to his hometown Alexandria, and received a warm welcome with a victory parade and his fans cheering for him.