Summary
The Paris Olympics are creating some of thebiggest news stories in the worldright now, with plenty of human interest stories coming out of them that even those who don’t care about sports are following. The athletes competing are, after all, also people, each with their own stories to tell. One of those athletes has captured the hearts of otaku around the world after he publicly revealed that he, too, is one of them.
Noah Lyles is an American track and field athlete who just won his first gold medal, for the 100m men’s dash. Anime fans around the world already knew his name and face, though, from when he revealed he was running with aYu-Gi-Oh!card in his shirt a few weeks ago, and took a press photo with a Duel Disk. When accepting the gold medal for his recent victory this past week, though, he showed his love for another major classic anime franchise -Dragon BallZ.
An Olympian and a Classic Anime Fan
Noah Lyles Must Have Been a Toonami Kid
Noah Lyles first captured the attention of the internet back at the end of June, when he was still qualifying for the Paris Olympics. In the Olympic Team Trial races, he was the reigning champion, but that was not what really earned him the spotlight. Instead, it was when he started to reveal theYu-Gi-Oh!cards that he was keeping in his uniform. These included Exodia, and then the extremely famous Blue Eyes White Dragon card after saying that Exodia was just the beginning, as he had, “the left and right arms [today] and I’ve got the legs coming tomorrow,” according to the officialOlympics website.
Lyles went on to do exactly what he promised, showing up withall the pieces of Exodiain a Duel Deck before the 200m race. And all that was not even the first time that Noah Lyles showed his otaku side to the world. In 2019, he dyed his hair silver for his first appearance in the USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships, citing that Goku’s hair also turns silver when he enters his ultimate final form. Then, in 2021, the Olympian said in an interview that his favorite anime at the time wasFullmetal Alchemist, and that his favorite manga wasGate of Eden. He has not been shy at all about his love for anime and manga, both of which have been working their way into the mainstream over the past few years.
At 27 years old and an American, its likely that Lyles grew up watching anime on Toonami, the late night program that often shows the English dubs of anime in the United States.Fullmetal Alchemist,Dragon Ball Z, andYu-Gi-Oh!all used toair on Toonami in the 2000s. While Noah Lyles may be an athlete of epic proportions that normal people cannot dream of achieving, at least American otaku can share the common experience of growing up watching Toonami with this incredible athlete.
The Most Epic Kamehameha
Goku Would Be Proud
On August 4th, 2024, Noah Lyles won the 100m dash at the Paris 2024 Olympics, and can at least temporarily claim the title of being the fastest man in the world. As it is his first Olympic medal, and a gold one at that, it is already an achievement that Lyles can be happy to be known for. But the otaku athlete took things one step further, and did something he will likely be remembered for even more than his victory in the race - hedid a pose that anime fans around the worldinstantly recognized in celebration.
Following in the footsteps of Goku, Lyles did the famous energy attack Kamehameha fromDragon Ball Zafter his photo-finish victory in the race. Back in March, when the creator ofDragon BallAkira Toriyama passed, Lyles made a special post onhis Instagramin memory of the mangaka. Along with another picture of himself doing the Kamehameha pose, Lyles wrote,
If you ever wondered why I put my hands together stretched out in front of me it’s because Goku did.
If you ever wonder why I scream out before a big race it’s because Goku did.
If you ever wonder why I dye my hair different colors it’s because Goku did.
If you ever wonder why I reach my hands to the sky before my best races it’s bc Goku did.
This is the great effect that the creation of Akira Toriyama has had on my life. You have inspired more than you’re able to ever imagine. RIP to a creator and inspiration to millions!
It is likely the Olympian was thinking something similar after his victory at the Paris 2024 Olympics. Inspired by Goku, hestruck the famous poseto celebrate his victory, to honor Toriyama, and to continue to show his love of anime to the world. All of these references to anime and manga have earned Lyles international fame and respect in the eyes of not just athletes, but anime and manga fans everywhere.
Noah Lyles serves as an inspiration to otaku around the world that there isno reason to hide your love for animeand manga, and it is okay to be proud to be a geek. You can be an anime fan and still be an athlete, or anything that you want to be. His public love of anime also shows that anime can be a great unifier, bringing together fans from around the world with something they all have in common. There is no better place for showing that people around the world can celebrate their love of something together than the Olympics, and Noah Lyles has done that not only for sport, but for anime, too.
