Noah Lyles stands among the most competitive and reliable sprinters across the globe, with Olympic and World Championship medals to show for it. But for Lyles, winning isn’t the only goal.
He recently explained that his motivation differs from many past champions, who were focused mainly on earning medals. Lyles believes his success serves a bigger purpose, viewing his medals as tools to help grow and transform track and field beyond the results.
Why Noah Lyles Sees His Medals as Tools for Change
The American sprinter admitted that his goal for track and field is broader, which is changing how people perceive, consume and value the sport, thus expanding its cultural reach.
During an event hosted by the Bajaj Pune Marathon and powered by CNBC-TV18, the Paris Olympics 100m gold medalist was asked about the things he believes he does that are not common practice among other sprinters. To which, he replied, “I would say the biggest difference for myself is my why. My why is a little bit different than some champions before me.”
“I think a lot of people who become world champions and Olympic champions dream mainly of getting the medal, whereas mine is about transforming the sport and bringing it into a place it’s never been before,” he also mentioned.
But, the eight-time world champion understands that credibility comes from dominance but medals are not his destination, rather tools that help him move ahead, adding, “I know to do that, I have to win, and I’ve got to win at the highest level. In my head, the medals have always been stepping stones to open the door and bring track and field into new places and new spaces where it can live.”
Notably, this year proved no different for Lyles in terms of success. Despite cutting short his 2024 season after winning gold in the 100m and bronze in the 200m, and skipping the relay due to COVID-19 at the Olympics, the 28-year-old performed brilliantly at the World Championships 2025. He won three medals, including gold in the 200m and the 4x100m relay, along with bronze in the 100m.
Lyles Says The Rise of the 200m in 2025 Means More Than Medals
For Lyles, one of the year’s most meaningful moments didn’t come with a medal. Instead, it came from watching the continued evolution of the 200m, an event he’s always held close.
Lyles admitted that witnessing the growth of the 200m has been deeply emotional. When he first entered the sport, the landscape felt uncertain. Usain Bolt had stepped away, Justin Gatlin was nearing the end of his career, and Yohan Blake’s form fluctuated. The event Lyles loved most was suddenly without a clear identity.
He explained that the turning point came as performances began to change. “Then I started to see the times drop, the averages drop. All of a sudden, we’re hearing that 2025 had the fastest national championships in the 200m ever,” Lyles stated in an interview with Sportstar this month.
“We’ve had the fastest semifinal times at a World Championships. We’ve had the fastest Olympic finals we’ve ever seen in this event,” he added.
Those moments signaled the return of strength to an event that once had been searching for stability, and watching the 200m reclaim its place as one of track and field’s premier races became an achievement in itself.
