"You can have the fastest time in the world"-Noah Lyles focused on winning than being the world leader in 100m ahead of Paris Olympics

American sprint sensation Noah Lyles recently emphasized his focus on winning competitions rather than being a world leader following his victory in the men’s 100m at the 2024 London Diamond League. The London Diamond League was the last major track and field event held before the 2024 Paris Olympics.

At the pre-Olympic meet, Lyles achieved a personal best time of 9.81s in the men’s 100m to secure a victory, ahead of Akani Simbine (9.86s) and Letsile Tebogo (9.88s). With this victory, Lyles will be heading into the Paris Olympics as a strong medal contender in the 100m event.

In a post-race interview (via Citius Mag), the 2023 world champion Noah Lyles expressed his focus on winning competitions rather than achieving the 100m world leader title, stating (1:54 onwards):

“It's about the win. You can have the best time in the world, but if you ain't got the win, then back it up. You start to get left behind.”

Lyles, who recently turned 27, added:

“I think my legacy is growing the sport more than just the track. Being able to bring it to the U.S., being able to bring it outside of the U.S. We run fast, we also have passion and love for other things and incorporating that into the sport so that we grow, not just in one place, but as internationally as we are at.”

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A look into Noah Lyles’ Road to Paris Olympics

Noah Lyles at 2024 U.S. Olympic Team Track & Field Trials. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)

Noah Lyles qualified for the 2024 Paris Olympics in the men’s 100m after securing victory in the men’s 100m event at the 2024 U.S. Olympic Track and Field Trials in a time of 9.83s, ahead of Kenny Bednarek (9.87s) and Fred Kerley (9.88s).

Lyles then made his second Olympic team for the Paris Olympics in the men’s 200m, clocking a sensational 19.53s at the trials. This is also the current world-leading performance in the 200m event this season. With a personal best of 19.31s in the 200m, which is also the national record, Lyles is considered a contender for the gold medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics.

Lyles is also a part of the United States men’s 4x100m team. Having earned a bronze medal in the 200m at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, Noah Lyles will aim to enhance his resume this time by securing medals in all three events in which he is competing in at the quadrennial event.