Rise to Success: Career Highlights of Noah Lyles

How Noah Lyles built a successful career. Explore key moments that defined the journey.

Noah Lyles is an American track and field sprinter specializing in the 60m, 100m, and 200m. He holds the American record in the 200m with a personal best of 19.31 seconds, ranking him as the third-fastest in history for that distance. Lyles is an Olympic champion and a six-time World champion, establishing himself as one of the premier sprinters in the world.

Sections (3)

Full Timeline Career & Achievements Success & Recognition

1984: Sam Graddy's U.S. Championship

In 1984, Sam Graddy won the U.S. Championship in the 100m, the last time a younger athlete had won the title before Noah Lyles in 2018.

2004: First US victory in the Olympics since 2004

In 2024, Noah Lyles won the 100 m at the Olympics, marking the first US victory in the event since 2004.

2009: Usain Bolt's Record Breaking Season

In 2009, Usain Bolt had a record-breaking season running under 19.70s four times. Noah Lyles was the only other individual to achieve this feat in a career.

2014: Gold Medal at Youth Olympic Games

In 2014, Noah Lyles represented the United States at the Youth Olympic Games and won a gold medal in the 200 m.

January 2015: High Jump Achievement

In January 2015, Noah Lyles cleared 2.03 m in the high jump as a high school junior.

March 2016: New Balance Nationals Indoor Victory

In March 2016, Noah Lyles won the 200 m at the New Balance Nationals Indoor.

April 2016: Arcadia Invitational Wins

In April 2016, Noah Lyles won both the 100 m and 200 m at the 2016 Arcadia Invitational, setting new meeting records of 10.17 s and 20.48 s respectively.

June 2016: USA Junior Championships Victory

In June 2016, Noah Lyles won the 100 m in 10.08 s at the USA Junior Championships.

July 2016: Signs with Adidas

In July 2016, Noah Lyles and his brother Josephus turned professional and signed with Adidas, forgoing their commitment to compete for the Florida Gators.

July 2016: U.S. Olympic Trials and World U20 Championships Qualification

In July 2016, Noah Lyles competed in the U.S. Olympic Trials, where he placed fourth in the 200 m final and qualified for the 2016 World U20 Championships, later winning gold in both the 100 m and 4 × 100 m relay.

2016: Gold Medals at World U20 Championships

In 2016, Noah Lyles secured gold medals in the 100m and 4x100m relay at the World U20 Championships.

2017: National Title and World Relays Silver Medal

In 2017, Noah Lyles started the year by winning his first senior national title in the 300 m at the USA Indoor Championships and earned a silver medal in the 4 × 200-meter relay at the World Relays, but injuries caused him to miss the World Championships.

2018: U.S. Champion in the 100m

In 2018, Noah Lyles became the youngest U.S. champion in the 100 m since 1984, winning the race at the USA Championships with a world lead and personal best time of 9.88 s.

2018: Outdoor Season Successes

In 2018, Noah Lyles focused on the outdoor season, securing wins in the 200 m at the IAAF Diamond League Doha meet and the 150 m at the Adidas Boston Games, setting personal bests in both events. He also won the 200m at the IAAF Diamond League in Eugene, improving his personal best time.

2019: World Champion in 200m

In 2019, Noah Lyles became the world champion in the 200m event.

2019: Successful season in 100m and 200m

In 2019, Noah Lyles had a successful season, including running a world-leading 9.86 in the 100m in Shanghai, equaling Pietro Mennea's world record time in the 200m at the Golden Gala meet, and setting a personal best of 19.50 in the 200m at Athletissima in Lausanne.

2019: World Athletics Championships Gold Medals

In 2019, Noah Lyles won gold medals in the 200 m and the 4 × 100 m relay at the World Athletics Championships in Doha, Qatar.

2020: Olympic Bronze Medal in 200m

In 2020, Noah Lyles won the bronze medal in the 200m at the Olympic Games.

July 21, 2022: World Athletics Championships Victory and National Record

On July 21, 2022, at the World Athletics Championships in Eugene, Oregon, Noah Lyles won his second global title in the 200 m, setting a new national record of 19.31 seconds, surpassing Michael Johnson's previous record.

2022: World Champion in 200m

In 2022, Noah Lyles secured his second world championship title in the 200m event.

2023: Sprint Treble at World Championships

In 2023, Noah Lyles achieved a sprint treble by winning gold medals in the 100-meter, 200-meter, and 4 × 100-meter events at the World Championships.

2023: World Champion in 100m and 4x100m Relay

In 2023, Noah Lyles won gold medals in both the 100m and 4x100m relay at the World Championships.

2023: World Champion in 200m

In 2023, Noah Lyles won his third world championship title in the 200m event.

2023: World Athletics Championships Wins

In 2023, at the World Athletics Championships in Budapest, Noah Lyles won the 100 m with a personal best of 9.83 seconds and the 200 m with a time of 19.52 seconds, securing his third title in the 200 m and fifth overall in the World Athletics Championships.

June 2024: Fastest 200m Time into a Strong Headwind

In June 2024, Noah Lyles clocked 19.77 seconds for 200 m in New York City into a headwind of 1.6 m/s, which was recorded as the fastest time into such a strong headwind as of September 16, 2024.

July 20, 2024: London Diamond League Win

On July 20, 2024, Noah Lyles set a new 100 m personal best time of 9.81 s in winning at the London Diamond League.

August 2024: Forty Times Under 20 Seconds

Noah Lyles achieved the feat of breaking 20 seconds for 200 meters forty times without wind assistance on August 8, 2024, in the Olympic final. This is more than any other athlete.

September 2024: Fastest 200m Time into a Strong Headwind

As of September 2024, Noah Lyles' time of 19.77 seconds for 200m in New York City into a headwind of 1.6 m/s in June is still the fastest time into such a strong headwind.