Noah Lyles praised for his powerful 'why not you' message

Noah Lyles officially became the "world's fastest man" Sunday by winning the 100m final at the 2024 Paris Olympics. As the first American to triumph at the track-and-field meet since Justin Gatlin at the 2004 Athens Games, Lyles had every reason to feel braggadocios — especially a year after his triumphs in the 100m, 200m and 4x100 relay events at the World Athletics Championship in Budapest.

Instead, he sent out a motivational message to scores of athletes by highlighting the many challenges he had to overcome to attain Olympic glory. The 27-year-old urged his peers to not let ailments or vulnerabilities stop them from pursuing their dreams.

The viral post was widely praised by athletes, celebrities and fans, who labeled Lyles an "American hero" and a "source of motivation" for his outlook toward life and sports.

Lyles' win was not guaranteed by any means. Just a few months ago, he lost to Jamaican rival Oblique Seville at the Racers Grand Prix, three years after he failed to qualify for the 100m at the Tokyo Games. Many felt Seville and Kishane Thompson were superior 100m sprinters going into Sunday's meet, and those analysts were proven right midway through the race when Lyles trailed at seventh place.

However, Lyles made a late dash to edge past Thompson by five-thousandths of a second in a dramatic photo finish at Stade de France. The race was so neck-and-neck that all eight finalists finished within 0.12 seconds of Lyles, making it the closest 100m meet at the Olympics since 1980. It was also just the second time in the past 60 years that the top two sprinters ran the same time measuring into the hundredths, per ESPN Stats & Information .

Lyles will look to add to his Olympic medal tally at the 200m and 4x100m relay on Monday. A reigning three-time 200m world champion, Lyles has spoken about wanting to break Usain Bolt's world record of 19.19 seconds in the 200m. A year ago, he already became the first sprinter since Bolt to complete the treble of 100m, 200m and 4x100m at a world meet. If he can break Bolt's record, he'd solidify himself as the most decorated sprinter since the Jamaican legend.