While six-times world champion Noah Lyles’ brash, showman side was on display in the popular Netflix docuseries “SPRINT,” there is a softer, more vulnerable aspect to the 27-year-old American who needs to have his own space.
The show’s popularity, however, has made life in the Olympic Village miserable for Lyles, one of the Paris Games’ most visible athletes.
“Apparently the world loves “SPRINT” and athletes do too, and I’ve become kind of popular in the village,” Lyles said at the U.S. athletics team’s press conference on Monday.
“Unfortunately that has come with its own set of challenges. I’m not even the most popular person in the village, so I know I’m not the only one who’s had to deal with this.
“Even though some might be superstars in your eyes, we still are human beings, and we do want to be able to have our space and our time,” he added.
“I’m trying to prepare and dive deep into my mental state.
I was talking with my therapist, trying to figure out ways to better seclude myself. I’ve been eating at very random times in the back of the cafeteria, to have my space with me and my girlfriend (Jamaica sprinter Junelle Bromfield).”
Strategically released ahead of the Olympics on July 2, “SPRINT” follows several of the world’s best sprinters for a year, and was the sixth most watched show on Netflix worldwide in its first week with 2.4 million views.
Its climax was the 2023 World Championships where Lyles blazed to three gold medals. The world will be watching again as the American tries to match that feat in Paris.
