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HAT-TRICK: Alexandria’s Noah Lyles wins gold in 100m, 200m and 4×100 relay at World Championships

By James Cullum
World champion sprinter Noah Lyles speaks after receiving the key to the city at Market Square on Monday, October 10, 2022. (staff photo by James Cullum)

The fastest man on the planet is an Alexandrian.

Noah Lyles cemented his place in history last week with a hat trick at the 2023 World Athletics Championships in Budapest, Hungary, by winning the 100-meter and 200-meter races, and brought home the gold for Team USA as anchor in the 4×100 relay.

Lyles, who raced to his third straight 200m championship, was also the first man to win both the 100m and 200m races since Usain Bolt in 2015. He’s now poised to take on the competition next year in the Olympics in Paris, France.

Lyles ran the 100m last Sunday (Aug. 20) in 9.83 seconds — a personal best, and followed it up by clocking in 19.52 in the 200m on Friday (Aug. 25). Luckily, he wasn’t injured in a golf cart crash on Thursday.

On Saturday, he anchored Team USA in the 4x100m to win gold with a time of 37.38.

Last year, Lyles broke the American record in the 200m with a time of 19.31 seconds, breaking Michael Johnson’s 200-meter record of 19.32 seconds set at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics.

The 26-year-old is a mental health advocate and last year received the key to the city from Mayor Justin Wilson after earning the bronze medal in the 200m at the Tokyo Olympics. He’s a graduate of Alexandria City High School and now lives and trains in Clermont, Florida.

About the Author

  • Reporter James Cullum has spent nearly 20 years covering Northern Virginia. He began working with ALXnow in 2020, and has covered every story under the sun for the publication, from investigative stories to features and photo galleries. His work includes coverage of national and international situations, as well as from the White House, Capitol, Pentagon, Supreme Court and State Department. He's covered protests and riots throughout the U.S. (including the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol), in addition to earthquake-ridden Haiti, Western Sahara in North Africa and war-torn South Sudan. He has photographed presidents and other world leaders, celebrities and famous musicians, and excels under pressure.