Noah Lyles' golden message: Health conditions don't limit your potential

Olympic champion Noah Lyles proves health conditions don’t limit potential, winning the closest-ever 100m final

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Olympic gold medalist Noah Lyles has proven that health conditions do not define one’s potential.

"I have asthma, allergies, dyslexia, ADHD, anxiety, and depression, but I will tell you that what you have does not define what you can become. Why not you!" Lyles declared, inspiring countless individuals with his story.

Lyles made history as the first American to win gold in the Olympic 100 metres in 20 years. On Sunday, he delivered an electrifying performance, winning the closest-ever Olympic 100-metre final by five thousandths of a second, securing the title for the United States for the first time since 2004.

 

 

 

 

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In a thrilling finish, Lyles thought he had left it too late to catch the powerful Kishane Thompson. However, the giant screen confirmed him as the winner in a personal best of 9.79 seconds, the same time as the Jamaican but ahead by the width of a vest.

He celebrated by ripping his name bib from his shirt and holding it aloft with his red, white, and blue varnished fingernails, announcing himself as the fastest man in the world.

"It's the one I wanted, it's the hard battle, it's the amazing opponents," said Lyles, the first American male Olympic 100m champion since Justin Gatlin in 2004. "I didn’t do this against a slow field – I did this against the best of the best, on the biggest stage, with the biggest pressure."

Lyles was right about the competition. It was the first time eight men had broken 10 seconds in a wind-legal 100-metre race.

World Athletics President Sebastian Coe described the men's 100 metres at the Paris Olympics as close to "riveting perfection" and praised Lyles for his exceptional performance.

Read also: Team USA’s Noah Lyles responds to criticism over painted nails

The exuberant American captured gold by five thousandths of a second in the most competitive men's 100m final in Olympic history, with just 0.12 seconds separating the eight sprinters in a blanket finish. "Well, if it's not perfect, it's about as close to perfect as you'll get," Coe said.

"(Lyles) is hugely important," said Coe. "If I'm wearing a promoter's hat, then him winning last night was important because he's now creating a narrative that is heading us back into Usain Bolt territory. It's a recognisable face that young people are now talking about."

Coe, a two-time Olympic champion in the 1,500 metres, laughed when told that Lyles wants his own sneaker—common among professional basketball players, not sprinters—saying, "Ain't no money in spikes. Even Michael Johnson didn't have a sneaker."

"He is recognising that he is beginning to transcend the sport, which is really what we want them all to do," Coe added.