Inching ahead of Jamaica’s Kishane Thompson by five-thousandths of a second, America’s Noah Lyles grabbed gold in the Men’s 100m final at the 2024 Paris Olympics, setting a personal best. The audience at Stade de France was stunned, given that all eight finalists had finished under 10 seconds, an Olympic feat. Now, as the 28-year-old prepares for his fourth 100m race of the season at the Paris Diamond League, he delivered a scalding hot take on one of track and field’s biggest goals: his personal best.

“I mean, it’d be very nice to see that go down, but again, what good is a PB if I get beat?” Lyles said in a press conference when asked if he wants to beat his personal best.

“Cause that’s the story that’s gonna be running back in the US, Noah Lyles got beat. The only thing that people really care about at the end of the day is who won and who lost.”

That is true in his case, considering the backlash he’s received in recent years. It all started after Lyles won in Paris, with many expecting him to show why he’s the best. But that didn’t happen at the 2025 London Diamond League meet, despite Lyles losing to the winner Seville Oblique by just 0.14 seconds, triggering the reaction. Lyles was subjected to a slew of criticism, especially as he performed off his regular mark.

In fact, going into the 2025 World Championships, Lyles had won just once in the 100m: the dramatic 9.79-second photo finish in Paris. He also finished second in all three of his Diamond League meets—once in Switzerland, once in Poland, and once in Great Britain. Many believed it was because he was saving his best for the World Championships. Although he clocked a season best (9.89), it wasn’t to be. Instead, the American finished third behind Oblique Seville and Kishane Thompson, losing yet again.

That trend has continued in his three meets in 2026. Lyles’ best so far came in early June, when he won the Rome Diamond League with 9.88. Despite strong runner-up finishes and personal records, people are only interested in seeing him cross the finish line first.

“Yeah,” the Olympian added. “Now every… You know, uh, I mean, I’ve gotten to a point where I’m now recognized definitely throughout the world, and now very much in the US. Times don’t mean anything to them. To the regular watcher, the casual viewer, times don’t mean anything.”

That mindset has helped make Lyles one of the biggest names in athletics, both on and off the track. It is also why World Athletics recently selected the Olympic champion to front one of its biggest new ventures.

Lyles announced as Ultimate Star for Ultimate Championship

With the Paris Diamond League around the corner, fans want to see Noah Lyles race in France again. He’ll be back for the first time since he won against Kishane Thompson. While the silver medalist won’t be there, expect to see 2020 Olympic gold medalist Marcell Jacobs and Jordan Anthony lining up for the 100m.

They’ll be lining up alongside the Ultimate Star for the World Athletics Ultimate Championship. Lyles was awarded the title before the Paris Diamond League, with the debut event a little over two months away. According to the press release, Lyles will serve as the “Ultimate MC and Creative Adviser” for the event while also competing.

The American qualified for the tournament after winning Olympic gold and bronze in the 100m and 200m, respectively. He’s not the only one, as every Paris Olympic and Tokyo World Championship gold medalist will be there as well, including fellow Ultimate Star Tara Davis-Woodhall. World Athletics President Sebastian Coe praised Lyles in a press release:

“We couldn’t be more excited to announce this partnership with Noah Lyles, one of the biggest stars our sport has ever seen.” 

“The Ultimate is intended to give athletes a spotlight in the stadium while simultaneously offering a platform for their passions beyond the track. As with our previously announced Ultimate Stars, we worked closely with Noah to develop a framework that goes beyond an ambassadorship and enables him to apply his many talents to multiple aspects of this premiere event.”

Despite being recognized worldwide, Lyles will want to finish first. And if Paris is any indication, he’ll gladly sacrifice a personal best again.