After winning eight Olympic gold medals from 2008 to 2016, Usain Bolt’s retirement in 2017 left a noticeable vacuum in men’s sprinting.
No one has yet come close to matching his achievements, but it looks like there is finally an heir apparent on the horizon — Noah Lyles.
The sprinting sensation is the favourite for the men’s 100 metres and 200m races at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, and with a strong American team alongside him, could also clinch gold in the 4x100m.
The last time a male athlete won all three of these events at the Olympics was Bolt in 2016, making clear just why there is so much excitement surrounding 26-year-old Lyles.
Becoming the fastest man in the world
Born in Florida in 1997, Lyles switched from gymnastics to track and field when he was 12 years old. Despite his young age, it quickly became clear he had immense sprinting talent, and the teenager went on to win a 200m gold medal at the 2014 Youth Olympic Games in Nanjing.
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