The Olympic 100m champion spent part of his childhood in North Carolina.
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — When you see the smile, it’s obvious.
“As soon as people recognize me or see me and I say, ‘Yeah I’m Noah Lyles’ dad,’ they go, ‘Yes I see it,” Kevin Lyles told WCNC Charlotte’s Nick Carboni. “And that’s a good thing.”
Kevin Lyles, who lives in Charlotte, is back from Paris where he watched his world-famous son, Noah, win a gold medal in track and field’s fastest race: the 100-meter dash.
Noah can now be considered the fastest man on the planet.
“It’s exciting,” Lyles said. “As a parent, you hope for good things for your children.”
Lyles walks the track at Johnson C. Smith University, the site of Noah Lyles’ first official track meet.
“You could tell from the beginning that he just did not lose,” Lyles said.
Noah Lyles was born in Gainesville, Florida to Kevin and then wife Keisha. They moved to Charlotte when Noah was eight years old.
Noah and his siblings spent part of their upbringing in Charlotte. Noah attended Northwest School of the Arts on Beatties Ford Road and spent time at the Sugar Creek Rec Center.
Before his parents divorced and he moved to Virginia, Noah and his family were staples at tracks in the Queen City.
“If you’re in the track community, you most likely know that he lived here,” Kevin Lyles said. “He ran with our program, the University City Youth Niners for several years. This is where he got his start in track and field. He came back here every Sunday once he moved to Virginia and ran for our team. A lot of people in the track community know that Noah Lyles made his mark here in Charlotte, North Carolina.”
He’s certainly made his mark on the world, he sometimes stirs the pot with his comments and attracts attention with his pre-race hype routine.
“At the heart of it is who Noah is,” Kevin said. “He has a lot of energy. He has a lot of passion. And you can see that. He’s doing something he loves. I’m definitely not that flamboyant. His mom’s not either. That’s Noah. Pure and simple.”
Dad took a few photos with Noah in Paris. But the photo everyone will remember is of the photo finish.
“I knew,” Kevin said. “I’m sitting in the stands and I didn’t even have a good angle. When I saw him dip I knew he had won. In my heart, I knew he had won.”
Contact Nick Carboni at ncarboni@wcnc.com and follow him on Facebook, X and Instagram.
