Noah Lyles had to play the patience game for 3 long years! Of course, he needed a second chance to claim what he let go in Tokyo 2021—the Olympic gold. But under what conditions had he settled for a bronze in the first place? Well, not many know the actual story of what Lyles endured before he flew to the Japanese capital.

But the wait is finally over as the Olympic champ finally stepped up with an unfiltered rundown of what had happened three years ago. While we know that Lyles struggled with depression back then, it turns out, that was just the surface level. He’s had to go through a lot, from medication withdrawal to losing the will to compete altogether.

Noah Lyles recalls his 2021 struggles

As he sat down with Rai Benjamin and Grant Holloway on the Beyond the Records podcast, Noah Lyles opened up on what the 2020-2021 phase was like for him. He started with, “I’ll take you back to 2021; I’m coming out of depression, you know; I’ve already been on the medication, at the start of 2021, and I came off the medication around May of 2021.” But it’s easier said than done.

Noah Lyles’ first hurdle was trying to phase out the medications. While most people around him suggested, ‘Just stop taking it and you’ll be good‘, by then, Lyles knew better. He knew he was going to have serious problems if he swore by this advice, which is why he skipped it and continued cutting back in moderation. But all of this still came at a cost.

Noah Lyles agreed that while he started realizing that he was getting better mentally, he knew he was in a slump and did not have that relentless drive he always did. “I didn’t have that excitement; I didn’t have that Noah spark, you know, and because of that, I was like, I don’t think I can run or race without that spark; it’s just not me anymore,” he confessed. And thus, Lyles had to adopt a mantra: ” A lot of fake it to make it in that moment.”

Noah Lyles also revealed that he wasn’t getting as many massages, as his therapist was down with illness herself. The outcome of all this? “So I wasn’t getting the treatment I needed; I wasn’t hitting time that I knew I could be running and I’m like for a while I’m like ‘I don’t think I got it this year, like if I can make this team, you know that’s a great accomplishment because I don’t feel like I have it in me,'” he said.

Thereafter, all his conversations with his therapist headed in a single direction—keep faking it till you make it until it actually happens. However, Noah Lyles still hit rock bottom. He went as far as contemplating if he should take a break from the sport.

The time when Lyles nearly quit track

Can you imagine, there was a time when Noah Lyles thought about moving away from the track? When he was scared of losing a race? Well yes. The same Lyles whose electrifying energy and confident comments have always been taking the track world by storm. But, when it came to the Tokyo Olympics 200m finals, it wasn’t his day.

Lyles may have entered the 200-meter race as a favorite, but he wasn’t satisfied with the bronze medal that hung around his neck. Just out of depression, he was on the fence, as he confessed, “For a little bit, there was that split—like two days or maybe I just need to move on from track, get myself together. Would I come back?” But when it comes to his passion for the sport, Noah Lyles was clear, “I’d always come back in my head.”

However, that doesn’t discount the fact that Noah Lyles was ashamed. So much so that he thought of wrapping up his season and coming back next year. People suggested he compete at the Prefontaine Classic, but Lyles said, “I didn’t want to show my face.” He was scared of losing and that is highly unlikely for the man. Today, when he looks back at his older self, he cannot believe this was him. What do you think of this? Let us know below!