Olympic champion Noah Lyles had a comical take on his namesake, Noah Malone, who recently clinched silver in the 100m T12 at the Paris Paralympics.
Malone’s impressive run, finishing just 0.01 seconds shy of gold with a time of 10.71 seconds, sparked a humorous remark from Lyles, who noted the curious coincidence of their shared name.
On social media, Lyles quipped, “Must be something in the name Noah that makes you fast,” playfully suggesting that the name might be the secret to their athletic prowess.
Malone, already a silver medalist from the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics and a gold winner in the 4x100m relay, demonstrated his speed and consistency once again in Paris.
He won his preliminary heat in 10.75 seconds and then improved slightly in the final to secure silver. His performance highlighted his continued dominance in the event, despite narrowly missing out on the top spot.
Lyles, who recently secured gold in the men’s 100m at the Paris Olympics 2024, also experienced a dramatic finish. He edged out Jamaica’s Kishane Thompson by a mere five-thousandths of a second, with a time of 9.79 seconds, to claim victory.
However, Lyles’ triumph was marred by a subsequent bout of COVID-19, which adversely affected his preparation for the 200m. Although he competed in the 200m, his illness led to a bronze medal finish, behind Botswana’s Letsile Tebogo and American Kenny Bednarek.
Lyles had ambitious goals for the 2024 Olympics, aiming for a sweep of four gold medals across the 100m, 200m, 4x100m relay, and 4x400m relay. His hopes of achieving this feat were dashed by his illness. After securing the 100m gold, he fell short in the 200m and had to withdraw from the 4x100m relay to prioritize his recovery.
The U.S. team’s 4x100m relay failed to medal, but the 4x400m relay team won gold. Lyles later confirmed his withdrawal from the 4x100m relay, citing the need for rest and recovery after a demanding Olympic schedule.
