Chasing Gold, a comic book of Noah Lyless Olympic journey

The fastest man across 200 meters this year wants more in Tokyo

Art by Andy Belanger

July 30, 2021

The best athletes on the planet will gather in Tokyo this summer, hoping to etch their names in the Olympic record books. For track star Noah Lyles, it’s a convergence of passions. The 2019 world champion is a favorite for the medals podium, having posted the year’s fastest 200-meter time at the U.S. Olympic track and field trials. Off the track, Lyles is as colorful as he is thoughtful. The 24-year-old Alexandria native is a connoisseur of anime and manga, Japan’s popular forms of storytelling, utilized for fiction and nonfiction alike. For “Chasing Gold,” Washington Post reporters interviewed Lyles and the people around him. Scenes reflect the subjects’ memories and other reporting, though some dialogue has been edited for length, clarity and style.