Titan pride ran strong this week when T.C. Williams 2016 graduate Noah Lyles earned a gold medal in the men’s 100-meter dash IAAF (International Association of Athletics Federations) Continental Cup Ostrava 2018 in Czech Republic, where he represented the Americas. Lyles also took gold as part of the men’s relay team, ending his break-out season on a high note.
Lyles came from behind in the 100-meter race to edge ahead of Su Bingtian of China by .02 seconds as they edged towards the finish line. The week prior, Lyles won a second successive Diamond League 200-meter in Zurich at 19.67, one-hundredth of a second off world record holder Usain Bolt’s meet record. This marks the fourth time in one season that Lyles has come in under 19.7, a feat matched only by Usain Bolt, described as the world’s fastest man. Lyles is currently the 300-meter indoor world record holder with a time of 31.7 at the 2017 U.S. Indoor Championships.
.@lylesnoah. Remember the name.
For the second year in a row, the American sprinting phenom is the IAAF Diamond League 200M champion. pic.twitter.com/ShKJP6PCjZ
— NBC Olympics (@NBCOlympics) August 30, 2018
The track and field sprinter, along with his brother Josephus who is also a 2016 graduate, turned pro after graduating from T.C. and signed with Adidas. Lyles just missed a spot on the 2016 Olympic Track and Field team in 2016, placing fourth at 200 meters at 20.09, breaking the 31-year-old American high school record. But, midway to the summer Olympics of 2018, Lyles is seen as the sprinter to watch.
Since he left T.C., Lyles has continued to compete internationally holding personal bests of 9.88 seconds for the 100-meter dash and 19.65 seconds for the 200-meter dash. In June, Lyles earned his first national title at the USATF Outdoor Championships — where he outran a sprinter who was previously undefeated in the 100 this year — to win his first national title and became the youngest to win the 100 meters since 1984.
View the historic win and celebratory dance.
Read more about Noah Lyles and brother Josephus, who placed sixth at the U.S.A. Track and Field Nationals, and their track and field legacy at T.C. Williams.