U.S. sprinter Noah Lyles, an “unrestrained showman,” is ready for his close-up at the Paris GamesChristian Petersen/Getty Images
The U.S. Olympic track and field trials have “presented the vivid possibility that American track and field is producing its collective version” of Michael Phelps and Simone Biles in sprinters Noah Lyles, Sha’Carri Richardson and Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, according to Adam Kilgore of the WASHINGTON POST. They are the “kinds of talent that draw casual fans to screens.” Richardson is a “magnetic athlete on a redemptive arc,” while Lyles is an “unrestrained showman.” Meanwhile, McLaughlin-Levrone is the “best ever at what she does and promises to do more.” By the time the 2028 L.A. Games roll around, U.S. Track & Field “may be chocked with a cohort of reigning gold medalists still young enough to be in their competitive prime.” Additionally, emerging stars such like hurdler Grant Holloway and heptathlete Anna Hall will “have a platform to become household names.” Kilgore notes swimmers and gymnasts can “transcend their sports at the Olympics because they compete in multiple events,” meaning viewers could “expect to see Phelps or Biles almost nightly for stretches.” Lyles’ quest in Paris also will be “augmented by the frequency with which he competes,” as he could run in “seven races across five days” Richardson also “could execute the same schedule.” McLaughlin-Levrone is set to perform over the course of three days (
WASHINGTON POST, 6/27).
LYLES IN THE LIMELIGHT: TIME’s Sean Gregory in a cover story notes the Paris Games are “set to go down as the Noah Lyles Games.” If Lyles repeats his Budapest feats and wins the 100-m, 200-m, and 4 × 100-m relay golds, he will be the first U.S. sprinter since Carl Lewis in 1984 to do so and the first male since Usain Bolt in 2016. The stage “appears set” for Lyles to “steal the show.” If Lyles wins multiple golds, NBC’s Ato Boldon said, “We may have to recalibrate who is America’s biggest star.” Boldon: “With the Olympics being next in Los Angeles and him being right in his prime for those four years leading up to LA28, look out. He’s going to be huge.” Gregory notes Lyles "seems tailor-made for this moment,” though the issue with track and field in the U.S. is the sport’s “low visibility outside the Olympics.” Lyles has "designs on fixing this issue” and he “swears he can be bigger than Bolt.” Lyles in March did a pair of shoots with Adidas, filmed a spot for Visa, and did another shoot for Omega, “between training sessions and running in a meet.” He also “wants to host 'Saturday Night Live'” (TIME, 7/15 issue).
RESTORING THE FEELING: SI’s Greg Bishop wrote officials involved at top track and field levels in the U.S. "for years ... shared the same goal -- to restore some of America’s dominance.” It has been years since the U.S. “produced a bonafide, homegrown, crowd-rousing, endorsements-demanding, mainstream, crossover superstar.” The most recent candidate for that status was probably Michael Johnson, who "retired nearly 24 years ago.” Recent Olympian Allyson Felix reached a level of stardom that is “remarkable ... surpassing most athletes in the history of U.S. track.” However, she arguably did not rise to the levels of Florence Griffith Joyner and Jackie Joyner-Kersee. Bishop: “Should any American capture even more of America’s attention in Paris, the most likely candidate remains the one who can blur down tracks with those long nails painted gold.” Richardson “appears equipped with all factors that might play into a broader sports celebrity status” (SI, 6/24).
