" I was addressing people who have it off me and hate me , and I said , ' No matter what , you still observe , did n’t you ? ' "
The2024 Paris Olympicsare in the books, and if you were anything like me, you were glued to the TV for the past two weeks.
Speaking of gold medals, American sprinter Noah Lyles took home the top award in the Men’s 100-meter, officially making him the fastest man in the world.
Off the track, Noah is busy racking up the endorsements.
Noah’s winner mentality is infamous, and his viral interview soundbites often make a wave on social media. I was blessed with the opportunity to speak with the Olympian after the games. Here’s everything we chatted about:
1.Both of your parents competed in track and field in college. Did they train you, or did they have any influence on you?
It was more of something I naturally gravitated toward myself . Me and my brother , we did almost every sport out there before we catch to tag and field . We were doing basketball , baseball , association football , gymnastic exercise , swimming , and we were really just enjoy sport as a whole . Track and line of business was the last fun that we did .
2.How did your parents feel about you choosing their sport last, after trying everything else?
My parents did that purposely . They want us to choose track , and not because they did it . But when we did end up running , my daddy was my coach for quite a few years , at least from late elementary schoolhouse to all the way of life through mediate schoolhouse .
3.What was the first thing you thought when you won the 100-meter race at the Olympics?
Oh my gosh … amazing ! Because , there was a point where I did n’t cerebrate I come through . It was so penny-pinching , I did n’t even know if I pay off second or third , I could n’t see the other guy on the other side .
4.When you were in that moment, not knowing if you won or not, how did that feel?
I literally was propel off of pure inherent aptitude and emotion at the time . So when I cross the line , and we ’re waitress , I ’m like , " Ah , dang . I recall I did n’t tend enough , " or it just was n’t the correct timing . And then I saw my name show up , and I ’m like , " Oh my gosh , " not find how secretive I was to my competitors .
5.And you won by, like, 100th of a second, right?
No , it was a 1,000th of a bit !
6.What would you tell young aspiring athletes that want to be like you?
I always differentiate athletes pretty much the same thing . They always derive up to me like , " I want to be like you . " And I ’m like , " You do n’t want to be like me . You want to be like you , because that ’s how you become like me . " If you are like you , if you just own who you are , learn who you are , and love yourself and find what you bed . That right there is pass to channel you so much further in life than anything could sincerely carry you . You will be jump and bounds above people .
7.You’ve opened up about your mental health in the past, something that I really admire about you, and Simone Biles has done the same. What advice would you give to other athletes when it comes to their mental health and competing?
I advise you to go jump in some therapy . It is no harm to get a checkup from the neck up . You know , they ’ll wonder , why are you so gleeful ? Why are you so confident ? Why you move the manner you do , and it ’s because you know who you are , you ’re confident in yourself , and you love what you do . And because of that , you know you ’re going to grow , and you ’re blend in to encounter , hopefully , other like - minded people like that . And those are the multitude that you know are going to say , " I ’m get to constantly maturate in biography . "
8.You ran that last race, the 200-meter, with COVID and you still got a bronze medal. How were you able to push through while being sick, dealing with those chills and those other symptoms?
9.Now, of course, your statements about the NBA a couple of years ago were all over social media. However, I saw some of the USA Men’s Basketball team watching your 100-meter race. So what is your relationship like with those guys? Is everything cool?
I did n’t have a relationship with them then , and I guess I do n’t have one now . They talk about me more than I talk about them . I ’m very happy that they do to watch because I made a tweet or a post a while ago , and I was cover people who have intercourse me and detest me , and I say , " No matter what , you still watch , did n’t you ? " That ’s the queer part , because you know , no matter how people see you , they ’re still going to watch whether they ’re there to watch you fail or determine you bring home the bacon .
" I have to watch the NBA Finals and they have ' world champion ' on their fountainhead . reality champion of what ? The United States ? " 😂 🇺 🇸 Throwback to#OlympicGames100 m champion Noah Lyles talking about how strong it is to be the best in the World ! 🥇 ( via@ESPN)pic.twitter.com / ERBMd5lNUE
I feel that it take on a life of itself . The NBA was just an model . The point got lost in translation along the way . The point was supposed to be that the US has so many people with the title of World Champion or Olympic Champion , and we seem to give it to others who do n’t in reality have the claim . Why do that ? They ’re already great ! They are already dignified in that , let ’s lionize the other sports out there who have taken on the world and are come back and saying , " Hey , we did this for you . " We need to be celebrated just as much .
“I was addressing people who love me and hate me, and I said, ‘No matter what, you still watched, didn’t you?'"
11.That makes a lot of sense. And I believe you are going to be celebrated at the highest level now. I mean, you killed it. Did you have any heroes growing up, or anyone you look up to now?
No , I would n’t say I have any heroes . I ’m more of an anime shaver !
12.I grew up on some anime, what’s your favorite?
Fullmetal Alchemist : Brotherhood , by far .
13.What about that anime really spoke to you?
I ’m a soft touch for a good , nicely - tied bowknot at the closing of an Zanzibar copal with calamity and school of thought .
14.What music do you listen to to get yourself amped up for competition? Is there anything specific that gets you in the zone?
Yeah , so I ’ve spliced two concerts together . One isTravis Scott . It ’s his concert , he perform in Zurich . I reckon in 2018 , when he was on spell forBirds in the Trap Sing McKnight . And then a Kanye West concert as well . I ca n’t think back which concert it was , because he was sing almost everything . I cogitate it was the iHeart Radio concert . But those two concerts together are what make my finals playlist . Anytime that I ’m at a backing , and I ’m go into a finals , that is the play list that I ’m listening to .
15.Okay, final question: Give me your Mount Rushmore of greatest athletes.
Greatest jock of all time , good gracious , on the spot , too ? [ Laughs ] Okay , Muhammad Ali . Then , I ’m gon na put Usain Bolt in there . Before Usain Bolt there was no cartroad and field athlete that actually doubled more than once at an Olympics . The acquisition that he ’s made are astronomic . Then I think we ’d have to put Michael Jordan on there . And I definitely put Serena Williams on there as well .
This interview has been edited for length and/or clarity .
