BY : Milton Quintanilla Crosswalk Headlines Contributor
United States track star Noah Lyles gave glory to God after being named “fastest man in the world” for winning a gold medal in the men’s 100-meter final at the Paris Olympics on Sunday in Saint-Denis, France. According to The Christian Post, Lyles was awarded the gold after he defeated Jamaica’s Kishane Thompson by approximately five milliseconds.
“I had to find my own journey with God, and a lot of that came through track because there were a lot of times where I thought I don’t know if I can do this,” Lyles told Premier Christian Radio following the race. “God, if you really want me to do this, give me a sign. He gave me a sign, and I said, ‘I’ll never doubt You again.’”
Moments after the race, Lyles initially thought one of his competitors had won and even thanked him, saying, “Hey man, I think you got it.”
Michael Johnson, a Four-time Olympic champion, told Premier that the photo finish was the best he has ever seen, “bar none.”
On social media last week, Lyles spoke about the personal struggles he has dealt with that almost prevented him from participating in the Olympics.
“I have asthma, allergies, dyslexia, ADD, anxiety, and depression. But I will tell you that what you have does not define what you can become. Why Not You!” he wrote on X Sunday night.
After winning first place in the U.S. Olympic 200-meter trial in June, Lyles stressed the importance of having a positive mental state when preparing for the race.
“I’ve said it all season, but it helps to not have depression,” Lyles told Premier.
“I thank God every day for getting me through each and every round,” he said. “Healthy, mentally and physically.”
During a recent interview with NBC4 Washington, Kyles became emotional when he shared that his late coach from Alexandria City High School of Alexandria, Virginia, Rashawn Jackson, passed away over a month ago.
“I don’t think it’s completely sunk in, to be honest. My coach, Rashawn Jackson, recently died. And you know, I remember when I was running on the backstretch, and I was like: ‘This one is for you, man,’” Lyles told NBC4 Washington.
“I thought he was going to be here to see it. I’m going to be honest. But I know that he’s watching. I really thought he was going to be here in the flesh because he believed that I was going to be a 100-meter runner just as much as I was going to be a 200-meter runner.”
Lyles’ mother, Keisha Caine Bishop, told NBC4 she was overjoyed to see her son win Olympic gold.
“I’m so excited. I can’t believe it,” she said. “It’s a lot. I’m so excited. I think I screamed harder than I’ve ever screamed before.”
Photo Credit: ©Getty Images/Christian Petersen/Staff
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