Noah Lyles excels not only on the track but also as a friend

After his dramatic victory in the 100-meter race, Noah Lyles once again made headlines, but this time behind the scenes. A special moment on Monday brought both smiles and admiration for the American sprinter, who effortlessly mastered his first round in the 200-meter race. Hours after his world-class win in the 100-meter competition, Lyles went out of his way to support his girlfriend, Jamaican sprinter Junelle Bromfield. Bromfield had forgotten her spikes at their shared massage therapist's Airbnb, not far from the Olympic Village. Without hesitation, Lyles set off to retrieve them—late at night. In addition, he carried not only her equipment but also his own bags and some toiletries back to the village, to support her run in the 400-meter competition the next day. At 2 a.m., the freshly crowned Olympic champion in the 100-meter race lugged the baggage through the village. '"There I am, Olympic champion in the 100 meters, waddling with all this stuff into my girlfriend's room," Lyles joked with a smile. "I'm a good boyfriend."' Bromfield thanked him by securing a respectable third place in her first round of the 400-meter race, qualifying for the semifinals. Lyles, on the other hand, remained unfazed by all this and won his 200-meter heat in a commanding 20.19 seconds, underscoring his intentions to win in this event. "That was just to get the legs moving," Lyles commented casually. The last 24 hours had been quite eventful for Lyles. Besides his historic win in the 100-meter race and the subsequent medal ceremony, he settled for minimal celebrations. "I had to pee in a cup, gave interviews, got a massage," Lyles reported dryly. "I watched some videos, including Total Running Projections on YouTube and watched people play video games before I fell asleep." The moment of triumph will stay with him for a long time, Lyles emphasized. He had watched his race several times and realized each time anew how impressive his final sprint was. "When I saw it the first time, I thought, 'Wow, I was really last.'" Lyles explained that his initial phase wasn't bad, but the competition simply had exceptionally strong starts. However, his analysis of the data showed that he hit his target times in the crucial 10-meter sections, which ultimately led to his victory.