All the overhead shots and race replays tell the same story. Noah Lyles only led one time during his Olympic 100 metre sprint for the ages: at the finish line.
There's a good argument that the rest of his stay at these Paris Games won't be anywhere near as nip-and-tuck.
With the Olympics still abuzz over his 0.005-second victory in the 100, Lyles didn't have much time to rest before moving to his next event.
He is a heavy favourite in the 200m, his better race, and a race he has not lost since the Olympic final in Tokyo three years ago, where he finished third.
He said he got about four hours of sleep after the big race, before returning to Stade de France to win the opening heat in the 200m in 20.19 seconds.
Lyles' desire to be the front man for a sport that yearns for new fans feels like a game-changer to Seb Coe, the World Athletics president who called Sunday's race “if not perfect, about as close to perfect as you can get.”
“If I'm wearing a promoter's hat, then him winning last night was important, because he's now creating a narrative that's heading us back into Usain Bolt territory,” Coe said.
“That's hugely important.”
Lyles not shy about what he wants from all this
In a typically candid and engaging post-race news conference, Lyles made no secret that he is in this to promote his sport, but also wants more.
He has been a front man for the popular Netflix documentary “SPRINT,” and has brought a sense of fashion back to the track, making “walk-ins” a thing and bedazzling his hair with white pearls on race day.
Now, he's got a message for his shoe sponsor, Adidas.
“I want my own shoe,” he said.
“I want my own trainer. I'm dead serious. I want a sneaker. There ain't no money in spikes, there's money in sneakers. I feel like for how many medals we bring back and the notoriety we get, the fact that hasn't happened, that's crazy for me. I feel like that needs to happen.”
What could slow down Lyles in his quest for Olympic sprint glory?
The 100m was the biggest hurdle for Lyles to overcome. It is not his best race, and it's the one he took up shortly after Tokyo with the goal of becoming more than a mere sprinter, but a larger-than-life personality, both on and off the track.
Lyles also figures to feature prominently in the men's 4x100 relay but that's anything but a gimme.
Riddled with poor work with the baton, a lack of consistent training habits, a doping positive and the constant spectre of trying to beat Bolt, the US has not won, and kept, a single Olympic medal in this event since 2004. It hasn't captured gold since 2000.
He'll have challengers in the 200 metres, but he's hard to beat
