Noah Lyles: "Most of my big plans have nothing to do with running"
American athlete Noah Lyles recently shared his thoughts on his ‘big plans’ that are related to his athletic career. The 26-year-old has achieved great success as a sprinter in the last few years and now desires to use his popularity and contribute to the track and field sport.
Six-time world champion Noah Lyles was at his best at the 2023 World Athletics Championships in August. He continued his dominance in the 200m race by winning his third World Championships gold medal in the event. Lyles also became the new world champion in the 100m race, clocking an impressive 9.83s.
The American athlete joined the list of legendary athletes with triple gold medals in one single world championship by winning in the 4x100m relay race. On top of it, Lyles’ style statement, with his painted nails and unique hairstyles, make him one of the most popular figures in the sport.
Recently, Noah Lyles took to his X (formerly known as Twitter) to share his views on his athletic career.
Lyles tweeted:
“One day they will realize that most of my big plans have nothing to do with running but with the business of the sport”
Lyles indicated that he desires to use his fame and success as an athlete to help elevate the track and field business.
In fact, during a recent Instagram interaction with his fans, Lyles expressed that the track and field coverage was not enough. He believed that influencers could help in increasing its popularity by telling 'stories to new demographics and people who might not watch' the sport.
Noah Lyles on reinventing track and field sport
Noah Lyles appeared in an interview with Olmpics.com to talk about the popularity of track and field. He shared that he wants to change the world of sports and inspire other athletes to follow in his footsteps.
Lyles explained that medals can help athletes to gain attention and then they can use that attention to reinvent the sport. Once they achieve success in the sport, they can then venture outside and 'reinvent' themselves in new surroundings.
“Yes, medals are nice, they get your attention. That should be the first stopping point, that should be the first check off the box. After you go to medals, now you go to moving outside of the sport. After you’re outside of the sport, we go and reinvent ourselves", Lyles said.
Furthermore, the 26-year-old American athlete shared that athletes must help in attracting more people to watch the sport in stadiums.
“We need to push them back into track meets, get the energy and they’ll be like, ‘Oh, I want to be there for that moment!", he added.