Noah Lyles takes speed to another level.

The 25-year-old defending world champion in the 200 metres was looking to defend his title at the World Athletics Championship against a stacked field that included fellow American star Erriyon Knighton—and he did just that. He blitzed the race from the start, winning in an electric time of 19.31 to take gold and set the new American record. It was the third fastest 200 of all time behind Jamaicans Usain Bolt and Yohan Blake.

It’s safe to say Lyles is now on another level when he’s on the big stage. Here are five facts about the American that you should know about.

He blitzed the race from the start, winning in an electric time of 19.31 to take gold and set the new American record.

He’s a big fan of Anime
Lyles is a huge fan of Anime, and he brings that personality to the track. Last year at the Prefontaine Classic, Lyles ran a time of 19.52 in the 200. After the race, he compared his performance to Asta from the Japanese anime Black Clover.

“Just coming in, they expected nothing from him, that’s when I was first beginning my career,” he said. “And then oh shoot, he’s actually doing good and they expected something from him. And then he’s kind of falling into this area where I’m not really growing, and then all of a sudden, he gets into the final season and he’s killing it—he’s overpowering. That’s how I feel now.”

In 2020, Lyles was a guest on Katie Ledecky’s Instagram Live series called “Lunch with Ledecky.” He mentioned that his favourite anime was Full Metal Alchemist and that his favourite manga (Japanese comic books) is Garden of Eden.

Lyles is also a musician
In addition to being a star on the track, Lyles makes music as well. He’s recorded and released over 10 songs, which can be found on Spotify under his music name, Nojo18.

In 2019, Lyles, along with pole vault specialist and Olympic silver medalist Sandi Morris collaborated with the band Baba Shrimps and released a song entitled “Souvenir.” They performed the song at the end of the 2019 Diamond League Championship in Zurich.

His brother is also on the World Championship team
Lyles is not the only track star in the family. His younger brother, Josephus Lyles, 24, is a professional runner, and he is also a member of the 2022 USATF World Championship team.

In a recent interview, Lyles spoke with World Athletics about what it was like having his brother on the team. “I was like, ‘Dang, bro, I’m happy you’re here.’ It’s always better to have your brother there, your best friend. It’s a blessing. This is exactly what we’ve been waiting to see since we turned pro. It’s one thing to say and know that it’s going to happen, and it’s another thing to see it actually happen.”

Lyles is an advocate on the importance of mental health
Lyles has been vocal when it comes to speaking on mental health, including the struggles that he’s dealt with and how he’s overcome those issues.

In an interview with Craig Melvin of the Today show last year, Lyles spoke on why he feels it’s important for him to share the importance of taking care of your mental health. “I’ve always talked about mental health in my career,” he told Craig Melvin in the sit-down interview. “And, now, as I got more and more popular, I got more and more attention, people watching me. So I feel that I was able to reach an even bigger audience.

“Saying it then wasn’t any different from when I was saying it a few years ago, but every time I say it, I say it with the intention that I know that there’s somebody out there who is probably struggling (with) the same issues I was and I want them to know that there is ways to feel better. They don’t have to keep feeling that way.”

He and his brother have their own foundation
Lyles and his brother created the Lyles Brothers Sports Foundation, which launched in 2020.

According to the Foundation’s website, the goal of the LBSF is to empower youth through the advancement of health & wellness in the community. The Foundation also advocates and informs others about mental health, college preparation, anti-bullying, & stress management for athletes.

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