Noah Lyles: Why Paris 2024 Olympics medalist paints his nails

• Noah Lyles has managed to match up his pre-match huge talk by winning multiple major medals in global championships
• His latest came in the men's 100 at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris after beating Kishane Thompson by five-thousandths of a second
• The other thing that stood out was his colourful nails, with the American getting some slack for painting them

Noah Lyles is the perfect embodiment of everything he wants track and field to be. He trash-talks his opponents, talks himself up, dresses the part, and on competition day - he wins.

Since Usain Bolt retired, the sport has struggled to have a main character energy - something Lyles is hellbent on changing before he retires.

Noah Lyles celebrates on the podium during the medal ceremony of the men's 100m of Paris 2024 Olympics on August 5, 2024. Photo by Cameron Spencer.
Source: Getty Images

How Noah Lyles beat Kishane Thompson

On August 4, he entered Stade de France pumped up for the final. Not even the long, pensive delay got to him.

And at the end of it all - Lyles won it on the line, beating Jamaica's Kishane Thompson in one of the most dramatic and entertaining Olympic finals of all time.

Noah Lyles' nails

If you had a keen eye, you must have realised that the new Olympic champion had painted nails. The nails were fodder for public debate after he painted the word ICON across them in blue and red colours.

The 27-year-old argued that he did that because of his personality and who he was. Lyles has been at the forefront of using fashion as one way of selling the sport. This is not the first time he has worn nail polish. He showed up with red and black nails during the New Balance Grand Prix race in February.

Why Noah Lyles paints his nails

When asked about the nails, Lyles waved away criticism, insisting that he always tries to remain true to himself.

"Hey, I know you were brought up this way, but I was brought up that way,’ and the fact that you can’t see the differences of why I might do it, I find that entertaining."

The nails are a way of him showing his confidence, which sometimes has been misconstrued as cockiness.

"I’m a person who knows that a lot of people have different opinions, and they have them for different reasons. The most misunderstood thing is the balance between cocky and confident." “There is a strong line that people assume my confidence is cockiness," he said, as quoted by the Independent.

His mother also spotted colourful nails. She went with the American flag on one hand and the Jamaican flag on the other. Lyles' girlfriend, Junelle Bromfield, is also a sprinter and at the Olympics representing the Carribean nation.

Lyles shares inspirational message

Earlier, Legit.ng reported that Lyles has inspired his fans with a message of resilience and belief after winning Gold at the Paris Olympics with a finish time of 9.784 seconds.

The American sprinter beat Jamaica's Kishane Thompson on the line after both athletes clocked similar times in a tension-packed final.

Lyles took to social media not to boast but to inspire. His message was simple yet powerful: obstacles do not define you.

Source: TUKO.co.ke