Noah Lyles (above) is headed to the finals of the 200-meter sprint after placing second in his semifinals heat.
Despite not winning his heat, he is still the heavy favorite to win the 200-meter sprint in Paris since he is a three-time world champion in the event. Lyles also placed second in his semifinal heat in the 100-meter event before taking home gold in the final.
With a win Thursday, the U.S. track star can become the first sprinter since Usain Bolt in 2016 to take gold in both the 100- and 200-meter races, known as the prestigious “double.”
Lyles solidified his spot as one of the most marketable Olympians after winning the 100-meter sprint Sunday. But the Adidas-backed sprinter declared he wants a signature shoe, an accomplishment saved for some of the top athletes in major sports, including Bolt. Achieving the “double” would improve Lyles’s case, especially given his marketable, albeit polarizing, personality.
“I want my own shoe. I want my own trainer. I’m dead serious.” Lyles told reporters in Paris. “I want a sneaker. There ain’t no money in spikes. There’s money in sneakers. And even Michael Johnson didn’t have his own sneaker.”
Sponsorship Restrictions
Lyles was direct about his desire for a signature shoe, but he never once mentioned Adidas during his press conference.
While athletes are allowed to secure personal sponsorships anytime during the Games, the IOC’s Rule 40 severely limits the amount of public interaction Olympic athletes can have with any partners not sanctioned by the Olympics for a particular event or team—like Adidas, in this case.
An example of how granular Rule 40 can be is that an athlete can thank each personal sponsor only once during the entirety of the Games.
“During the Games Period, you may provide one simple ‘thank-you’ message to each of your Non-Olympic Partner personal sponsors,” the Rule 40 FAQ states.
Nike is also the national team sponsor for the U.S., which is why Lyles sports the Swoosh on his tracksuit despite wearing Adidas racers.
New Heights
A signature shoe would be another step in Lyles’s journey to grow and transcend the sport.
Lyles was the main subject of the Netflix docuseries Sprint, released last month, and said it was “amazing” in giving fans a deeper look into track and field. But he hopes the sport can amass attention beyond the Olympics.
“I want to see a continuation of the ability to take advantage of moments for our sport,” Lyles said. “This needs to be accessible because this is a world sport, so we need to be able to show it to the world.”
