Lyles wants to win, celebrate just like Bolt

Probably the most promising sign that monitor and subject stays in good arms even after Usain Bolt’s retirement comes from a 22-year-old American named Noah Lyles , who appreciates the Jamaican celebrity extra for what he did after his races than throughout them.

When Lyles spends time finding out Bolt on video, he’s not solely wanting on the lanky speedster’s kind in between the lanes, however on the dancing, rollicking post-race celebrations Bolt concocted to make his sport can’t-miss viewing every time he was on the monitor.

“I noticed extra of his fun-loving facet and favored that greater than I favored really watching him run,” Lyles said in a latest interview as he prepares for the world championships that start subsequent weekend in Doha, Qatar. “I used to be interested by what was his method of creating individuals wish to watch the game. And that’s what I consider I took essentially the most from.”

The subsequent two years will likely be daunting for track and field , because it tries to regain — or retain — its area of interest within the post-Bolt panorama. This week marks the start of the primary world championships with out Bolt since 2003. In lower than a yr, monitor will take its act to the Olympics, sans Bolt, for the primary time since 2000.

Lyles knows there will likely be comparisons. Two months in the past, he ran 19.50 in the 200 meters, the gap Bolt thought-about his specialty and at which he holds a world report — 19.19 seconds — that many within the sport really feel will likely be hardest to prime.

However Lyles, the charismatic sprinter — sound acquainted? — who grew up in Florida earlier than transferring to Virginia, isn’t daunted by that.

And whereas Lyles will likely be attempting for 3 gold medals at subsequent yr’s Tokyo Olympics — within the 100, 200 and 4×100 relay, a la Bolt — he’s focusing solely on the 200 at world championships , as a result of, in his phrases, “I’ve a really robust probability of successful that 200. I even have a really robust probability of attempting to interrupt some meet information.” (Bolt’s world report was set at world championships in 2009).

If he does, then the monitor world will definitely wish to scoop up each little tidbit it will possibly about its latest, quickest man.

Amongst them:

Lyles is an apparel designer (take a look at his socks collection ) and a budding musician who produced a hip-hop album that focuses on the cycle youngsters undergo in appearing out. He considers himself a cross between Kendrick Lamar, Travis Scott, Kanye West and Jaden Smith.

“I’m nonetheless looking for my very own stream,” Lyles mentioned.

Whether or not it was on the monitor, or on the dance ground, or spinning information at his personal dance membership in Kingston, few had been in a position to make the swap between the athletic subject and the nightclub as seamlessly as Bolt. The truth is, typically they felt like one and the identical.

Although the comparisons are certain to come back in all these venues, the 5-foot-11 Lyles believes there’s a profit to by no means having lined up, mano a mano, in opposition to the 6-foot-5 Jamaican.

“It helps my profession with the ability to say that I wasn’t crushed by Bolt,” said Lyles , who alongside together with his youthful brother, Josephus, signed a long-term cope with Adidas in 2016, passing on an opportunity to run on the College of Florida. “If I (had been), then I might have that overwhelming gloom of, ‘Oh, however you bought beat by Bolt that one time.’ And then you definately’d have that dialog of, ‘Oh, however I used to be solely 19.’”

They did meet as soon as — in a health care provider’s workplace in Germany earlier than the 2017 world championships. Lyles, who was there to get his hamstring checked out, went over Bolt within the ready space and launched himself.

“After all he’s a cool man,” Lyles mentioned. “He’s obtained world information.”

Might these information sometime belong to Lyles? And in the event that they do, might he be the type of persona who would make individuals wish to watch?

“He simply needs to be the primary Noah Lyles and that’s all he thinks about,” his coach, Lance Brauman, mentioned. “He’s not caught up within the rigmarole about saving the game — or being the following this or being the following that.

“He’s obtained the persona, has numerous expertise and likes to coach. He’s obtained a couple of good qualities proper there.”

He definitely stands out in a crowd — spraying his hair silver will have a tendency to do this (he did that for U.S. championships and plans to once more in Doha).

He definitely can dance, too, breaking out a couple of strikes after successful at nationals. Then, he posed for photos with followers. He was in no hurry to depart the stage.

“Noah’s a rock star,” mentioned Justin Gatlin, the reigning 100-meter world champion. “He likes to placed on a present.”

Briefly, Lyles will get it: A lot of individuals run quick. However Bolt’s celebrations are what made the victories so memorable.

“I might be the quickest and I might have essentially the most medals, however are they going to keep in mind that once I go away? In all probability not,” Lyles mentioned. “As a result of someone else goes to come back by and do the identical factor. However everyone will bear in mind Bolt’s persona.”

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