WATCH: Noah Lyles Pulls Out Blue-Eyes White Dragon Yu-Gi-Oh! Card For His 100M Intro At U.S. Olympic Trials

Before dominating the U.S Olympic Trials, Noah Lyles gave his viewers a little surprise with Yu-Gi-Oh! cards, making fans nostalgic, when the camera panned for his 100m intro.

By Natasha Bose

Updated on Jun 24, 2024 | 05:26 PM IST | 124.7K

Noah Lyles Pulls Out Yu-Gi-Oh! Card For His 100M Intro At U.S. Olympic Trials

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Noah Lyles followed up the stunt with a Yu-Gi-Oh! Exodia the Forbidden One card.
Noah Lyles' Yu-Gi-Oh cards and what do they mean?

Before dominating the U.S. Olympic Trials, Noah Lyles gave the viewers a fun surprise during his 100m intro. As the camera zoomed in, he pulled out a Yu-Gi-Oh! trading card from his outfit, wowing the audience.

For his 100-meter qualifying race, Lyles reached into his shirt and revealed a Yu-Gi-Oh card. Specifically, it was the iconic Blue-Eyes White Dragon, known for being one of the most powerful cards in the popular trading game.

Just to be clear: Lyles flashed a rare and cool card from a famous trading game before he blew past the competition with a 9.92-second 100-meter sprint. What a legend.

Noah Lyles followed up the stunt with a Yu-Gi-Oh! Exodia the Forbidden One card.

Noah Lyles had the perfect follow-up to his viral Yu-Gi-Oh! moment that took over social media on Saturday.

During the opening round of the U.S. Olympic track and field trials, Lyles went viral for pulling out a Blue-Eyes White Dragon Yu-Gi-Oh! card before finishing first in the 100 meter event with a 9.92 second time. And on Sunday, for the semifinal intro, Lyles kept the trend going by showing the iconic Exodia the Forbidden One card.

Not only that, right after showing Exodia to the fans, Lyles clocked a speedy 9.8 seconds to advance to the final later on Sunday!

Noah Lyles' Yu-Gi-Oh cards and what do they mean?

Lyles' nostalgia for the days when Yu-Gi-Oh cards were everywhere, especially among kids, is a feeling many can relate to. However, his choice to show off Yu-Gi-Oh cards isn't just about love for the game. Instead, it was a decision driven by his friendship with American thrower Chase Ealey.

The shot-put star and Lyles made a bet that required Lyles to show a different Yu-Gi-Oh card before each race. In return, Ealey – a big Naruto fan – would wear the famous Rock Lee leg weights during the shot-put finals of the U.S. Olympic trials.

"I gotta live up to my part of the deal so she lives up to her part of the deal," Lyles said.

When asked about his other cards, Lyles revealed he's also got some Exodia pieces. They're considered some of the most iconic cards in the entire game.

So far, the Yu-Gi-Oh cards have been his good luck charm, even though one Exodia piece slipped out of his shirt while running. Still, he's been using his powers for good, not evil, through three rounds; Lyles recorded the fastest time of any finalist for the 100m dash, posting a blazing 9.80s in the semifinals.