The American sprint star Noah Lyles has perfected the art of staying mentally sharp, often using psychology as much as physiology to stay ahead of the competition.
“If you turn your mind off and let your body just run, you see amazing things happen,” Lyles told The Washington Post before the 2024 Paris Olympics.
While he doesn’t let external distractions derail him, Lyles has shown time and again that he isn’t afraid to flip the script and use “mind games” against rivals. That’s why many wondered if his latest World Championship triumphs in Tokyo had a psychological edge attached.
Blonde Hair, but No Mind Games
At the 2025 World Athletics Championships in Tokyo, Lyles stormed to 200m gold in 19.52 seconds, a time that left his opponents scrambling in his wake. But when asked post-race if his striking bleached-blonde curls were a subtle psychological ploy, Lyles laughed off the suggestion.
“This is so crazy … This is not the mind games. I promise you, you will know when I play mind games. It’ll be a lot stronger of a flash,” he told The Inside Line.
Instead, the hairstyle was a personal statement before his upcoming wedding to Jamaican 400m runner Junelle Bromfield. The blonde, he explained, was a farewell to his long hair before cutting it short for the ceremony, and a playful nod to Dragon Ball Z’s Super Saiyan Goku.
When Lyles Does Play Mind Games
But make no mistake, Lyles knows exactly when to unleash the psychological warfare. He admitted that his infamous stare-down with Kenny Bednarek at the 2025 U.S. Championships in Eugene was “definitely a mind game.” In that race, he edged Bednarek at the line and then held a cold stare, a clear message to rivals about who ruled the 200m.
For Lyles, mind games go beyond intimidation at the finish line.
“Anytime that I go up to a crowd and I get them chanting and I haven’t even raced yet, that’s a mind game,” he revealed.
By commanding the energy of a stadium before the gun even goes off, Lyles ensures his competitors step into the blocks already questioning themselves.
A Season of Gold and Glory
Psychology aside, Lyles’ results speak volumes. At the 2025 Championships, he claimed three medals, bronze in the 100m, and gold in both the 200m and 4x100m relay. The 200m win was historic, equaling Usain Bolt’s record of four World Championship titles in the event.
To grasp how competitive the race was, Botswana’s Letsile Tebogo clocked 19.65, and still finished fourth. In a field separated by just 0.13 seconds, Lyles had to be flawless. And he was.
His Tokyo brilliance added to an already stellar season, which included victory at the Diamond League Final in Zurich, where he edged Tebogo again with a 19.74.
From start to finish, Lyles has proven that whether through sheer speed or subtle psychological edge, he remains the man to beat.
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