“As soon as people recognize me or see me and I say, ‘Yeah I’m Noah Lyles’ dad,’ they go, ‘Yes I see it,” Kevin Lyles told Nick Carboni of WCNC Charlotte “And that’s a good thing.”
Noah Lyles stunned the world by clinching the 100-meter gold medal at the Paris Olympics, establishing himself as the fastest man of his generation. In a nail-biting finish, he narrowly defeated Jamaica’s Kishane Thompson, thrilling the crowd at the Stade de France.
Among the spectators was Kevin Lyles, former American sprinter and the newly crowned Olympic champion’s father, who witnessed his son’s monumental achievement in track and field.
In a subsequent interview with WCNC News, featured on their YouTube channel, Kevin shared his emotions about seeing his son excel at the pinnacle of athletics.
Reflecting on his son’s accomplishment, Kevin expressed his astonishment:
“As a parent, you hope for good things for your children, but you never like, you think your child is smart, and he is gonna be a lawyer but you don’t ever expect them to be president, right? That’s the same thing with the gold medal.”
Like many parents, Kevin has consistently been Noah‘s supporter. While he always had high expectations for his son, an Olympic gold medal was an unexpected and joyous surprise.
Kevin noted that he recognized his son’s innate enthusiasm and drive to excel in his passions, particularly in track and field. The 100-meter final was one of the most competitive events in Olympic history. Recalling his experience at the Stade de France, Kevin said:
“I knew; I’m sitting in the stands, and I didn’t even have a good angle. But when I saw him dip, I knew he had won. In my heart, I knew he had won that.”
The photo-finish and official results confirmed that Noah Lyles had indeed become the Olympic 100-meter champion, edging out Kishane Thompson by a mere 0.005 seconds. However, in his father’s heart, Noah had already secured victory before the official announcement.
