Noah Lyles has explained the extra motivation behind his crazy pre-race antics at the Paris 2024 Olympics.
Reigning Olympic 100m champion Noah Lyles has broken his silence on the dramatic pre-race antics that became one of the most talked-about moments of the Paris Games last August.
According to Lyles, his animated jumping routine before the 100m and 200m finals was about far more than just calming his nerves.
Lyles beat Kishane Thompson to clinch the 100m gold by the slimmest of margins—just 0.005 seconds—cementing his place among the sport’s elite.
US sprint king Noah Lyles has opened up on how his Jamaican rival Kishane Thompson forced him to change his pre-race antics after stealing a march on him at Paris Olympics.
However, his quest for a second gold fell short as he settled for bronze in the 200m, battling through the effects of COVID-19 during the competition.
His performances aside, it was his vibrant pre-race routine that captured the audience’s attention, even earning him a fine from the organizers for “disrupting the peace of other athletes.”
The bold display came after a challenging series of heats. In the 100m, Jamaica’s Oblique Seville bested him in the early rounds, and in the 200m, Botswana’s Letsile Tebogo stunned him in both the semifinals and the final.
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Noah Lyles has now explained how Kishane Thompson’s yelling encouraged him to make such a wild entrance before the final of the 100 meter dash at the Paris 2024 Olympics.
Despite these setbacks, Lyles showed resilience, but his antics sparked widespread debate.
Speaking on his Beyond the Records podcast, which he co-hosts with fellow track stars Grant Holloway and Rai Benjamin, Lyles revealed that his pre-race stunts were not only about controlling the crowd but also about leaving a lasting impression.
“Every time I look at that situation, I’m like, ‘I’m going to prepare with every step I take,’” Lyles shared.
“Whether that’s diet, mentality, or the team around me, I just have to make sure everybody in my circle has the same mental fortitude of, ‘Hey, I want to be the best in whatever I do.’”
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Noah Lyles almost never uses this one tactic in his racing that he was forced to use thanks to Kishane Thompson’s threat in the final of the 100m at the Paris Olympics.
For Lyles, the Olympic gold medal represented more than a victory—it was a stepping stone toward a bigger goal. “To be honest, the gold medal was just a stepping stone in my head to do what I really wanted, which is to create,” he explained.
He elaborated further on his mindset: “I love the moment. The Olympics is a moment. It comes around every four years, so why not make it the best moment everybody has ever seen? The race is going to be the race—everybody knows how to run—but what makes it special is the memory. How will I make you remember me?”
Lyles’ approach, though unconventional, underscores his desire to transcend the sport and craft a legacy beyond medals.
His antics may have drawn criticism, but they also brought undeniable energy and intrigue to one of the biggest stages in global sports.
