Sprinting maestro Noah Lyles had been orchestrating a staunch vocation in his beloved track and field arena. He unveiled this hidden move at the 2023 World Athletics Championships, although the track world could not gather the full extent of his strategy until now.  

Noah Lyles had an awe-inspiring season in 2023 that marked his three-peat victory at the 2023 World Athletics Championships. Moreover, Lyles also shattered Usain Bolt’s most sub-20 200 m record at the Wanda Diamond League. Now, he has bagged the prestigious Jesse Owens US Athlete of the Year Award, but as it turns out, he started planning for this victory feat in 2016. Here’s what happened. 

Unveiling Noah Lyles’ masterstroke

Noah Lyles sat for an exclusive interview with NBC Sports recently. During the interview, the media correspondent questioned him about his specific goals in the sport. Noah Lyles gave a candid reply, saying, “When I started my professional career, I remember meeting my agent for the first time. It was 2016, and I wanted to transcend the sport. I refuse to just be another athlete that is known for running. It’s not me. I specifically said, I know what [Usain] Bolt has done, I want to do more. [My agent] said that he understood the assignment”. His agent, Mark Wetmore, advised Noah Lyles to reinvent himself as a showman.

Noah Lyles donned the garb of an entertainer from that point onwards. Whether it was with his crazy socks, his mindblowing flips, or his incredible prowess on the tracks, Lyles has always stayed under the limelight. Lyles looked at his predecessors’ records and made a commitment to himself to “to create bigger ones.” 

Noah Lyles crafting a legacy beyond the track

Noah Lyles showed his fashion quotient at the MET Gala and even walked the ramp at a fashion show in Milan. Now, he wants to be known as the “watch guy” and partnered with luxury watchmakers OMEGA. He is following in the footsteps of Usain Bolt who too has a sponsorship deal with Hublot. The Jamaican legend still receives the same amount of fanfare everywhere he goes despite announcing his retirement from the sport. 

Read More: 6x World Champion Noah Lyles Wins 3rd Jesse Owens Award, Joins the Elite Club With 4x Olympic Gold Medalist

Noah Lyles seeks similar fame that will extend beyond his athletic achievements. Along those lines, he said, “Getting involved with other brands so that I’m known as a man of fashion and culture, and talking to other sports—that’s always been the goal”. Now, he stands at the cusp of his goal and is primed to achieve it. 

WATCH THIS STORY: Noah Lyles is All In, Rooting for the $155M Esports Giants at Worlds 2023