London Diamond League: Noah Lyles on life after Olympic gold

London Diamond League

Venue: London Stadium Date: Saturday, 19 July

Coverage: BBC One, BBC iPlayer, and the BBC Sport website and app from 13:15-16:25 BST.

It is astir 12 months since Noah Lyles reached the pinnacle of his athletics by winning Olympic 100m golden astatine Paris 2024.

It reinforced his presumption arsenic the world's fastest antheral pursuing his aureate treble astatine the World Championships a twelvemonth earlier, and arsenic 1 of athletics' biggest draws.

But, aft backing up his bold claims successful a twelvemonth erstwhile helium besides starred successful the sport's Netflix documentary 'Sprint', the outspoken American admits helium is yet to determine what mentation of himself volition beryllium connected amusement astatine the London Diamond League connected Saturday, and beyond.

"I don't know, I'm wondering that," Lyles, who turned 28 connected Friday, told BBC Sport.

"I had a truly bully accidental to not lone conscionable beryllium with myself but besides deliberation up to the future, and however I privation to proceed presenting myself arsenic the showman and truthful on.

"I deliberation [the assemblage are] going to get possibly a mixed container close now, arsenic I'm redefining however I privation to beryllium seen implicit the adjacent fewer years."

On the track, the goals stay clear.

Three much satellite golden medals successful Tokyo successful September, connected the way towards achieving 3 golds connected location ungraded astatine the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics.

Over caller years Lyles has not been acrophobic to stock his expansive ambitions, stating that helium could people Jamaican large Usain Bolt's long-standing satellite records, and teasing a bid for 4 Olympic golds successful Paris.

His hopes of achieving the second were thwarted by a bout of Covid anterior to the 200m last - but helium had already secured his crowning moment, by just five-thousandths of a second, successful a singular 100m final.

"It's precise surreal. There are immoderate days I aftermath up and I consciousness similar Noah, and determination are different days wherever I'm similar 'I'm the world's fastest man, I'm the Olympic champion successful the 100m – I did that!'," said Lyles.

"My popularity has grown. Walking outside, I cognize I'm going to get recognised.

"I'm learning to beryllium comfy with that, learning to adjust, knowing that radical spot maine successful a antithetic airy but being OK with that and with who I am."

Lyles has agelong shown consciousness of what is required beyond accelerated times to breakthrough into the mainstream, and maintained involvement successful the sport's aboriginal direction.

His emotion of manner has translated to 'walk-ins' earlier competitions, while, pursuing a starring relation successful Netflix's 'Sprint', helium has besides started his ain accumulation company.

However, helium was a notable omission from Michael Johnson's inaugural Grand Slam Track league this year, an innovative format that offered lucrative prize wealth but received disapproval for excluding tract events.

"I deliberation we're successful a beauteous authorities for alteration and growth," Lyles said connected the sport's standing.

"There are truthful galore large things that we person going for america and radical are seeing it now.

"I bash judge we're a small scattered successful which absorption that is, but I judge that, successful a fewer years, we tin travel unneurotic to an thought of the close direction."

Lyles, who suffered with terrible asthma arsenic a kid and has besides spoken openly astir his intelligence wellness struggles, describes becoming sick with Covid astatine Paris 2024 arsenic "one of the top challenges I person ever had".

The 100m champion inactive managed to execute bronze successful the 200m, earlier being escorted from the way successful a wheelchair. It has near him with mixed memories of those Games.

Eager to adhd much titles to his collection, Lyles has endured a frustrating commencement to a play hindered by injury.

But helium produced a connection triumph connected his instrumentality to enactment successful Monaco past week by beating Olympic champion Letsile Tebogo successful the 200m.

A sell-out 60,000 assemblage astatine London Stadium is simply a signifier designed for Lyles to thrive upon arsenic helium looks to stitchery momentum towards the World Championships, with Tebogo and Britons Jeremiah Azu, Zharnel Hughes and Louie Hinchliffe among his rivals successful a stellar line-up.

"It's decidedly my benignant of place. I emotion a large crowd, particularly erstwhile they are engaged and they privation to spot something. Being a showman, I privation to springiness them a show," Lyles said.

"It's my archetypal 100m contention [of the season] and I ever privation to win. A accelerated clip ne'er hurts. I'd emotion to tally 9.8 seconds, but winning is the astir important thing."

Allowing himself to see what helium mightiness person achieved by the extremity of the adjacent Olympic cycle, portion besides suggesting helium is not going to alteration each that much, helium added: "I'll either person taken implicit the way satellite oregon I volition person 3 golden medals astatine the Olympics. Either of those dependable great."