I had depression in Tokyo and the devil trying to whisper sweet nothings in my ear - US sprint sensation Noah Lyles is using his 2021 turmoil to fuel glory in Paris by winning Olympic gold

You will astir apt cognize him arsenic nan trash-talking, vest-ripping, golden medal-winning sprinter-showman. The American who boasts of having 'main characteristic energy', plays nan starring domiciled successful a caller Netflix bid and is now group to beryllium nan header enactment astatine nan Olympics.

There is, though, different broadside to Noah Lyles, a vulnerability beneath nan bravado. Indeed, connected his past quality astatine nan Games, nan jock who usually lights up nan way was trapped successful darkness.

'I was depressed,' admits Lyles astir his clip astatine Tokyo 2020. 'I was coming disconnected my antidepressant medicine astatine nan clip because I was gaining weight successful an unnatural way. There was a batch going on.

'It was a existent fake-it-to-make-it twelvemonth for me. I watched backmost my title successful Tokyo and I was like, "I really don't cognize that guy. I don't cognize who that is but it's not Noah".

'It is benignant of scary astatine times. Just moreover seeing my mannerisms. I americium like, "Why did I do that? What was I reasoning astatine that time?". Every time I aftermath up now and convey God that I americium not successful that scenario.'

Tokyo was not nan first clip Lyles has struggled. In fact, he has been successful and retired of therapy since nan property of 10, having been bullied astatine schoolhouse for having yellowish teeth, caused by medicine for attraction shortage hyperactivity upset (ADHD), arsenic good arsenic suffering from asthma and dyslexia.

Lyles's intelligence wellness really nosedived, though, successful 2020, caused by nan operation of nan Covid pandemic, nan uncertainty and past postponement of nan Olympics, and nan guidance to nan sidesplitting of George Floyd. When nan Tokyo Games yet took spot down closed doors successful 2021, he could only declare a bronze badge successful nan 200m contempt winning nan world title successful 2019. 

In nan 100m, he did not moreover make nan US team.

Fast-forward 3 years, and Lyles is nan 100m and 200m world champion and loving life, connected and disconnected nan track. The concealed to his new-found happiness? 'A batch of therapy,' nan 26-year-old tells Mail Sport. 'I person 2 therapists. One is my sports therapist, nan different is my individual therapist for life beyond nan track.

'There is simply a fearfulness successful nan backmost of my mind that it (depression) will travel back. But each clip I deliberation that, I americium like, "I americium truthful overmuch better, I americium successful specified a awesome place". I conscionable chalk that up arsenic nan devil trying to susurration saccharine nothings successful my ear.'

While that devil had a clasp of Lyles 3 years ago, he believes that symptom of Tokyo is nan driving unit for what has happened since. In 2022, he defended his 200m world title successful Eugene, wherever he celebrated Incredible Hulk-style by ripping unfastened his US vest. 

Then, 12 months later successful Budapest, he became nan first man since Usain Bolt to complete nan 100m, 200m and 4x100m relay sprint treble astatine a World Championships.

'That bronze still burns a spread successful my chest,' admits Lyles, who group a caller individual champion of 9.81sec to triumph nan 100m astatine nan London Diamond League. 'I will beryllium carrying it astir during Paris conscionable to punctual maine this is not nan colour we are coming backmost with.

'It has ne'er been a concealed that I was disappointed pinch really 2021 went and really overmuch of a occurrence it lit successful my belly. It was nan catalyst for everything that has happened after.

'I genuinely judge that astatine immoderate constituent successful different replacement beingness if I had won that golden medal, I would person go complacent successful my ability, and I wouldn't person seen arsenic overmuch maturation arsenic I person successful nan past 2 years.' 

Growth arsenic a sprinter but besides arsenic a celebrity. As good arsenic his lead domiciled successful nan caller Netflix documentary Sprint, which follows nan world's fastest men and women, Lyles has appeared connected The Tonight Show and is connected nan screen of this month's Time magazine.

Lyles does not for illustration being compared to Bolt, but he is undoubtedly nan first jock since nan Jamaican retired successful 2017 who has nan stardust required to transcend nan sport. He now conscionable needs an Olympic golden badge to elevate his fame to nan adjacent level and make him an icon - nan connection he has tattooed connected his torso.

'I person been shocked pinch nan attraction nan Netflix show has got,' says Lyles. 'I americium moving past precocious schoolers and they are like, "Yo, that's Noah Lyles, fto maine get a picture". Droves of high-school kids. I don't cognize if I tin spell retired by myself immoderate more!

'But getting it done astatine nan Olympics would up nan ante and put maine successful a position wherever I tin request a fewer much things.'

Such is Lyles's pivotal portion successful Sprint, he has worked intimately pinch producers Box to Box, who made Formula 1: Drive to Survive, connected his storylines for nan 2nd series, which is presently being filmed. Lyles, though, is not only willing successful boosting his ain popularity, but athletics arsenic a whole.

'We person been moving a batch person into trying to genuinely make it an absorbing story, truthful that erstwhile group watch nan show, they are going to say, "Oh my gosh, I person to watch nan adjacent way meet",' reveals Lyles. 'We want group to beryllium entertained and not only maine becoming much popular, but besides having nan chance for much athletes to go conscionable arsenic popular.

'My ambition is my ambition, my joyousness is my joyousness and my goals are my goals, but it conscionable truthful happens that 1 of my goals is to spot way and section win and beryllium amended than erstwhile I joined it.'

When Mail Sport first met Lyles past December, he group retired his blueprint to boost nan floor plan of nan sport, which included hosting 4 awesome yearly events astir nan world, for illustration successful tennis. That imagination has now go a reality aft American fable Michael Johnson precocious launched Grand Slam Track, which will spot 4 meets hosted each year, wherever athletes tin each triumph $100,000 (£77,000).

American hurdler Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone and British middle-distance prima Josh Kerr person go nan first athletes to motion up for nan big-money series. Will Lyles beryllium nan adjacent to join?

'I can't opportunity if I will aliases will not beryllium a portion of it yet,' he replies. 'I americium still successful negotiations pinch them but location is simply a batch of bully that is being created by it. I americium very happy to spot it because nan past point that I want is that thing gets done.

'There is simply a wide want for alteration and an excitement for a caller task successful nan way space. I dream that it's going to breed awesome luck for everybody.'

Lyles has agelong championed nan request for athletes to beryllium amended rewarded, truthful he backs World Athletics' arguable determination to connection prize-money of $50,000 (£38,600) for Olympic golden medallists.

'I americium very proud to spot World Athletics measurement up because it's not their occupation to do that, it's nan occupation of nan IOC (International Olympic Committee),' he says. 'I sewage truthful galore messages aft it came retired saying, "Y'all don't get paid already?". The different 1 was, "I would deliberation a golden badge would beryllium worthy much than that". That's a speech we request to have.'

Another speech is astir athletics' problem pinch doping, thing that has dogged nan athletics for decades. At nan past Olympics, Great Britain were stripped of their 4x100m relay metallic badge aft CJ Ujah tested affirmative for 2 banned substances and was subsequently banned for 22 months.

The daze 100m victor successful Tokyo, Marcell Jacobs, besides faced awkward questions aft it emerged his erstwhile nutritionist Giacomo Spazzini was implicated successful a constabulary investigation into nan distribution of steroids. He was later cleared successful a criminal tribunal and Jacobs has ne'er been accused of wrongdoing.

Does Lyles judge each his opponents are clean? 'I can't beryllium it and it's not my occupation to beryllium it,' he says. 'Of people I americium going to person immoderate suspicions, but if you are connected nan line, I americium going to presume you are cleanable and it's my occupation to hit you. Even if you are not clean, I judge I americium specified a bully jock that I should beryllium capable to hit you.'

Lyles' clip astatine nan London Stadium yesterday was only nan 3rd fastest successful nan world this year. Kishane Thompson is nan quickest man connected nan satellite successful 2024, registering 9.77sec to triumph nan Jamaican trials, while Kenya's Ferdinand Omanyala has clocked 9.79sec.

Lyles, though, is assured he will beryllium fastest astatine nan Stade de France. He is eyeing up Tyson Gay's American grounds of 9.69sec successful nan 100m, nan arena he calls his 'mistress', arsenic good arsenic Bolt's world grounds of 19.19sec successful nan 200m, nan title he refers to arsenic his 'wife'.

'I americium successful nan champion style of my life,' he insists. 'I americium seeing times successful training I don't usually see. In nan 100m, nan American grounds is perpetually connected my mind. In nan 200m, 19.10 is decidedly nan goal.

'In nan indoor season, I improved my 60m clip by 1.02 per cent. If I adhd that connected to nan 100m, I should break nan record. And if I adhd that to nan 200m, I should tally 19.10.'

For Lyles, though, it is medals not records that count. As agelong agone arsenic December, he revealed he wanted to adhd nan 4x400m relay to his programme successful a bid to triumph 4 golds successful Paris - thing moreover Bolt did not achieve. However, erstwhile he past ran a 4x400m limb astatine nan World Indoors successful Glasgow successful March, it caused a large wind successful nan US, pinch different athletes and coaches complaining of 'favouritism'.

That appears to person put his dream successful doubt, but Lyles insists: 'Anyone who is connected nan US squad tin beryllium successful nan relay pool. It's nan relay coaches' decision. If they want to usage me, I americium here. I americium not going to person wounded feelings astir it.'

Whether aliases not nan quadruple remains possible, nan treble is surely on. And aft nan quiet stadiums of Japan, Lyles is relishing nan imaginable of performing successful beforehand of a afloat location successful France.

'I americium a showman, truthful I request an audience, intensity, pressure,' he adds. 'The much eyes connected me, nan amended I perform. As soon arsenic I get connected nan shape erstwhile nan TV is connected and group are watching, I ain't losing. The large moments are what I unrecorded for.

'Showing up to Tokyo and conscionable proceeding an quiet stadium, an echo, it was surreal. But Paris is going to consciousness nan complete opposite. Everything is going to beryllium heightened up to a caller level.

'The Olympics is nan pinnacle, and I don't person an Olympic golden badge correct now. But aft Budapest, it's like, "We person done this before, now we are going to do it again".'