World Athletics president applauds new 100m Olympic champion’s work off the track and his ability to “find a way to win” on it
It was the morning after the night before and, like most of the watching world, Seb Coe was still digesting a men’s Olympic 100m final that, as an advert for the sport, the World Athletics president described as: “Just about as close to perfect as you’ll get.”
After the blanket finish, the high drama of the wait to see the verdict of the photo finish technology, the rapid times, it was Noah Lyles who came out on top once again and cemented his place at the vanguard of the sport.
The American has coveted Olympic gold since it eluded him in Tokyo three years ago and his celebrations reflected the realisation of a dream, albeit he still has plans to conquer the 100m, 200m and 4x100m relay here in Paris.
He has made it his mission to become a gatherer of titles, comfortably accomplishing that aim when it comes to the World Championships. The Olympics is a different stage, however, and this win will send his star shooting further and higher.
Material for the second series of the Netflix show Sprint is being filmed in Paris and the producers must already be drowning in superb footage to work with. On the women’s side, there has already been the emergence of a new face in Julien Alfred, while Lyles is in the business of show as much he is in the business of running faster than everyone else on the planet.
In the 100m final post-race press conference, he spoke about a desire to work with sponsors adidas to create his own, profile-raising trainer. The idea certainly worked for Michael Jordan and Nike and, though Lyles might not be reaching that level of fame just yet, Coe can see similarities starting to emerge with the greatest sprinter of recent times.
“He’s hugely important [to the sport],” said Coe of the man who became the USA’s first male Olympic 100m gold medallist since Justin Gatlin in 2004 . “If I’m wearing a promoter’s hat, then him winning last night was important, because he’s now creating a narrative that is heading us back into Usain Bolt territory.
“It’s a recognisable face. It’s a face that has now got young people talking about [athletics]. Friends of mine who’ve got young kids, they’re now talking about Noah Lyles in the same breath as some of the highest profile sportsmen and women in the world.”
Coe chuckled at the mention of the shoe idea, but also admits it raises an important and instructive…
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