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2 Years After Cheering for Noah Lyles at Tokyo Olympics, Surfing Star Reunites With Track Star for a Exclusive Feat

Published 11/01/2023, 1:36 AM EDT

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The 2023 track and field season is over. In this highly anticipated event, Noah Lyles secured many wins while breaking multiple top-level records. At the London Diamond League, Lyles broke Usain Bolt’s most 200m runs under 20 seconds record and also secured a triple win at the 2023 Worlds Athletics Championship.

In the light of these wins recently, Noah Lyles was spotted unwinding with a surfing star. On Wednesday, Lyles posted a video on his social media alongside the Japanese-American surfing prodigy who showcased his support for the sprinter prior to the Tokyo Olympics. The video has left 531k Lyles enthusiasts in a frenzy.

Noah Lyles was spotted with a surfing sensation

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On November 1, Noah Lyles posted an intriguing video on his Instagram story. In the video captioned “Friendly game of hoops,” the 2023 World Champion was spotted in blue overalls, showcasing his basketball skills while playing alongside Japanese-American surfer Kanoa Igarashi. 26-year-old Noah Lyles was seen celebrating as he flawlessly dribbled the ball and managed to shoot two straight hoops.

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This reunion comes years after Igarashi supported Noah Lyles before the Tokyo Olympics. According to Igarashi, who confessed to being a good friend of the 200m sprinter, “he’s such a great guy and such an amazing talent. You know, I think he is going to do such amazing things for his sport.” Furthermore, the surfer, while highlighting the similarity the two athletes share, added, “We were just laughing at how opposite our sports were, but our pressures were the exact same. The things that go through our minds are so similar.

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However, two years after the Tokyo Olympics, where both Noah Lyles and Igarsihi secured a bronze and a silver, respectively, are currently enjoying their offseason shenanigans playing a game that stirred controversy for the sprinter. In August, Noah Lyles faced backlash after highlighting the title provided to NBA players.

World Champion faces backlash at the NBA

At the 2023 Worlds, Noah Lyles stood atop the podiums thrice. The athlete brought back the glory of the United States in track and field after becoming the first athlete to secure gold in the 100m and 200m. However, at the event held in Budapest, Lyles also stirred a controversy.

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While attaining his sixth World Championship title, in an interview, the 26-year-old Lyles stated the NBA title winners should not be called the World Champions. Amid this comment, the sprinter received backlash from many NBA players, including Devin Booker, Phoenix Suns player Kevin Durant, and Draymond Green.

“Losing Their Minds”: Sha’Carri Richardson’s Pride Walk Takes Noah Lyles Back in Time as He Shares Special Thanks to U.S. Track and Field Community

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However, intriguingly, despite his controversial opinion regarding the NBA, Lyles continues to showcase his hoops skills on social media. The fans are now girded for the athlete to once again steal all the social media brownie points with another heartwarming reunion with Kanoa Igarashi and other sporting stars as well.

Watch this story: Noah Lyles Eyeing on Shattering Another Record of Usain Bolt After Breaking the Sprinting Legend’s Record in Seven Years

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Written by:

Paras Jan

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Paras Haji is a US Sports author at Essentially Sports. She began her professional journey as a content and news publisher, which gave her valuable experience in the sports media industry. With her penchant for track and field sports, Paras idolizes American sprinting icon Sha’Carri Richardson and has passionately celebrated her comeback through her articles.
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Edited by:

Brandon Gabriel