World Champion Noah Lyles: Party without guests

The number of spectators during the lap of honor of Noah Lyles reminded rather of a district championship. The 22-year-old had only just crossed the finish line a few moments ago, when only a few visitors left the arena at Khalifa Stadium. The men's final over 200 meters was the last competition on the fifth day of the World Athletics Championships in Qatar, and when Lyles headed for victory with a US flag around his neck, he almost had to cheer alone for his first ever gold medal at a World Cup. After all, some photographers were still following him and holding on to the moment.

The pictures of lonely lap of honor had already been seen at the 100-meter finals of the men and women in the evenings before. The World Athletics Championships and Qatar, the relationship status is at least complicated, yet the spark has not jumped over, the ignition is unlikely to occur in the remaining days. But what you have not seen so far: how Lyles dealt with this situation. Where there were still a few fans, he stopped, the Sprinter took pictures and talked briefly. Scenes as if Lyles knew everyone by their first name, seeing elementary school friends again. Do you still have your old tomcat Charlie?

David J. Phillip / AP

Noah Lyles celebrates his 200-meter gold hilariously, but alone

As harmonious as it all worked, but also urged the question: Will an upcoming superstar like Lyles not be celebrated by diehard athletics fans, with Laola wave and chants? After all, he had just prevailed before Andre de Grasse from Canada and the Ecuadorian Alex Quinonez, in a rather slow race (19.86 seconds, the world record of Usain Bolt is 19.19 seconds), but with more than a tenth of a second ahead but quite sovereign. Lyles is considered a bearer of hope in athletics, he should bring back the radiance that has lost the sport with the departure of Bolt.

Social media more important than spectators in the stadium

And now this Lyles had set a first exclamation mark. In Doha, far away from the traditional stages of athletics, in front of a perceived spirit setting. Is it annoying that only so few are here? Also on this Lyles had a rarely heard answer, but lamented again and again athletes over the low support from the ranks. "How many came here today is irrelevant," Lyles said, adding, "The important thing is that we're talking in social media, and that's us! It does not matter if the World Cup finals in Doha or otherwise where takes place. "

In the future, the IAAF and its disciplines are to become more interesting again, especially for a younger audience, they want to get away from the dusty image, in the future the IAAF will be called "World Athletics", they will get a new logo. A new coat of paint.

The event in Qatar was supposed to deliver beautiful TV pictures - a spectacular stadium show in front of the 200-meter finale could not be missing: When the floodlights went out just before the starting signal, each participant was presented individually and illuminated by a spotlight Lyles felt comfortable. In his youth, he played at the theater, as he entered the press zone after his race, he crowed, as it is known by the movie character Peter Pan. He likes the role in the limelight, even off the racetrack, Lyles was already in use as a model at the Paris Fashion Week, soon he wants to release his own rap album.

Lyles and Coleman will be the duel of the next years

Much of this may just be a show, staging, just to be a topic on the social web. But if Lyles stops on his lap of honor for a chat with fans, then you take it off already, that he likes to do that too. His way to the top of the world was not self-evident: As a child, Lyles suffered from a chronic cough, at some point the doctors diagnosed asthma, at school he lost more and more connection until he felt at some point "completely isolated". "I've had so many problems in my life," Lyles said in the evening, "I'm just happy where I stand today."

US journalists call him earthed, authentic and witty. These are all the qualities that currently only very few Christian Coleman would attribute. The second Sprintstar from the USA was almost banned for the World Cup because of three missed doping tests, but when he won the gold medal over 100 meters at the start of the World Cup, all he said was, "I did not do anything wrong." That came in the US badly.

Coleman against Lyles, that could be an exciting duel on and off the track. Lyles is not among his US counterparts, on Twitter, there are regularly Stichelleinen, also provoke them at races. Of course that too: a lot of show. That's why you should keep an eye on the sporting duel, after his victory in Doha Lyles already announced the double start over 100 and 200 meters at the upcoming summer games - and also the goal: "Tokyo? Double Gold!", He said.

Is there an open question: Will Lyles be the new Usain Bolt? "I'm not a new Bolt, I'm I. This is my time," Lyles said. And you can hardly imagine Bolt on a lap of honor with just a few fans.