"Watched it before 100m finals" - Noah Lyles says he watched live-action Manga movie before winning gold medal at Paris Olympics 2024

Noah Lyles has shared that he watched the live-action remake of the Japanese Manga series "Speed Racer" before the 100m final at the Paris Olympics 2024. He would go on to win Olympic gold, edging out Jamaica's Kishane Thompson by five-thousandths of a second.

Lyles was among the favorites for the 100m finals but not as much as Thompson was. The Jamaican was coming into the Paris Games on the back of a world-leading run of 9.77s while the world champion had never broken the 9.8s barrier in his career.

The 27-year-old wasn't able to secure top place in the heats and semifinals. It was a result not many expected, and with Thompson easing through the first two rounds, Lyles' chances of winning gold seemed to be dropping massively. However, he was at his absolute best in the finals, and after a relatively fast start, the world champion outran the field to take the Olympic gold in an epic finish.

Responding to a post on X(formerly Twitter) Lyles has now said that before his blistering run in the 100m finals, he had watched one of his favorite movies, "Speed Racer," which is a remake of the Japanese anime series of the same name. The original series, also known as Mach GoGoGo, was originally printed in the 1960s, while the movie was released in 2008.

Lyles was replying to a post praising the movie. He said:

"I have it downloaded to my phone. Watched it before the 100m finals. It’s one my all time fav movies"

Lyles caught COVID-19 the morning after the 100m final, and although he did race the 200m final, he didn't look at his best. He was an overwhelming favorite for the 200m gold but appeared tired during the race as Botswana’s Letsile Tebogo scripted history for the African nation. He won the gold in 19.46s while Lyles took bronze in 19.70s.

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Noah Lyles ready to race NFL star Tyreek Hill over 100m

Noah Lyles of the USA at the Olympic Games 2024 - Source: Getty

Noah Lyles opined last year that NBA or NFL champions didn't deserve to be called "world champions" because they didn't play the whole world. His comments didn't sit right with many, and Miami Dolphins’ Tyreek Hill was one of them, who claimed he could beat the Olympic gold medalist.

Replying to the challenge, Lyles said on a podcast appearance that Hill was "just chasing clout" and jokingly added that he had forgotten the wide receiver's name. Hill, responding on X, challenged the world champion to a 50-yard dash.

Lyles has now said if Hill wanted to challenge him, he had to do it in the 100m. The Olympic champion added he was ready to race over the 100m "if somebody wants to sponsor the event and we’re racing for millions of dollars," in an appearance on NBC News.