"I got an upgraded room because the woman saw me pull out a Yu-Gi-Oh card" - Noah Lyles shares perks of being 'a nerd'

American track star Noah Lyles recently shared the advantages of being a nerd and fan of Yu-Gi-Oh! manga series. The 26-year-old is not only known for his track and field achievements and talkative personality but also for his passion for anime, gaming and manga.

At the 2024 U.S. Olympic Track and Field Trials, Lyles first revealed the Blue-Eyes White Dragon card from the Yu-Gi-Oh! series during his heats. He went on to win the heats with a time of 9.92 seconds, securing his spot in the 100m semifinals.

In the semifinals, he brought the Exodia the Forbidden One Yu-Gi-Oh! card to Hayward Field, where he once again dominated the race, clocking a wind-assisted 9.80 seconds to reach the finals.

Following the completion of his Paris Olympics campaign, Lyles, however, earned himself a perk after bringing the Yu-Gi-Oh! cards to the track stadium. Courtesy of his show on Yu-Gi-Oh!, he received an upgrade in his room at the St. Regis, a luxurious five-star stay.

After this, he took to his X (previously Twitter) to share the incident with his fans and followers, adding:

"I just got an upgraded room at the St. Regis because the woman saw me pull out a Yu-Gi-Oh card at the Olympic trials. Never stop being a nerd!"

Notably, the display of the Yu-Gi-Oh! cards were a dare given to Lyles by two-time World Champion in the shot put, Chase Ealey, which took place during a podcast they did together.

Both had decided to execute it during the Olympic trials, with Ealey being challenged to perform the Rock Lee Weight Drop, from episode 48 of Naruto if Lyles succeeded in doing the challenge.

Noah Lyles reveals his favorite anime and manga

Noah Lyles at the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games. (Photo by Jean Catuffe/Getty Images)

Noah Lyles talked about his favorite anime and manga via an Instagram live with renowned female swimmer Katie Ledecky held in October 2020. He said:

“My favorite anime is Full Metal Alchemist. There are two versions – Full Metal Alchemist and Full Metal Alchemist Brotherhood. I truthfully like both versions for different reasons, but I usually watch Brotherhood more.”

He added:

“And then my favorite manga is called Cage of Eden. It was one of the first long mangas I ever read. And I got like truly into the world.”

Besides his love for manga and anime, Noah Lyles is known for his fashion walk-ins before competitions, which makes him one of the most exciting athletes in track and field at present.