Noah Lyles celebrates 100-meter dash win: 'America, I told you I got this'

Noah Lyles had a strong message for the United States after winning the Olympic gold medal at the 100-meter dash in Paris.

“America, I told you I got this,” Lyles said.

WHAT HE SAID. @LylesNoah#ParisOlympics pic.twitter.com/ujy9ZAXdK2

— NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) August 4, 2024

Lyles crossed the finish line with a time of 9.79 in a photo finish to win track and field’s biggest event in the Olympics. The 27-year-old beat Jamaica’s Kishane Thompson who also ran a time 9.79. Fellow American teammate Fred Kerley finished third posting a 9.81 time to earn the bronze medal.

Lyles is the first American track star to win the Olympic gold medal at the men’s 100 since Justin Gatlin won gold at the 2004 Olympics in Athens. This is his second Olympic medal, claiming bronze in the 200-meter dash in the 2020 Tokyo Games (event took place in 2021). Lyles entered the Paris Olympics as the reigning world champion in the 100 and 200.

“It’s me. It’s always going to be me,” Lyles said in an introductory press conference last week when asked about being the fastest man in the world, per USA Today. “Everybody knows that the title goes to the Olympic champion and the world champion, which I am one of and soon to be another one of.”

Lyles added: “I’m excited. As a lot of people know the last Olympics didn’t go according to plan. There were a lot of ups and downs. I can finally say I’m showing up for an Olympic games not depressed. It feels amazing. A lot of joy. … I can always think back to the last Olympics and be like, ‘No, this one is not the same. This one is way better and I’m ready to show it.’”

Noah Lyles wants his fans to have fun

The one thing Lyles loves to do is put on a show for his fans. When speaking to GQ last year, the Florida native talked about how he wants his fans to have fun while they watch him compete.

“We’re a sport and sports are entertainment, so I want people to enjoy coming to watch me. Something that I can brag about is, if you come and watch me in person, I promise you every time it’s gonna be something different. It’s gonna be a moment that you didn’t expect,” Lyles said. “At the Atlanta City Games I convinced them to do intro music—that’s been a really hard thing to convince a lot of track meets to do. I played 21 Savage and the crowd went crazy, jumping in their seats, screaming, yelling, singing at the top of their lungs. You don’t find that at track meets with other guys. You find that at track meets where I’m there.”