He's the sprint sensation who famously rocked a Duel Disk onto the track, flashing "Blue-Eyes White Dragon" and "Exodia the Forbidden One" Yu-Gi-Oh! cards at the Olympic trials in the U.S. last year. Gold medalist in the 100m, Noah Lyles has truly become the face of anime fandom in the world of track and field.
Now, Lyles is in Japan for the "Tokyo 2025 World Athletics Championships." Yesterday (September 13), he blazed through the men's 100m preliminary heats, snagging first place in his group with a blistering 9.95 seconds. But it was his post-race interview that truly stunned everyone: he pulled out a gift he received in Japan—a custom portrait drawn by none other than Keisuke Itagaki, the legendary creator of "Baki"!
Lyles, a self-proclaimed massive "Baki" fan, explained that some Japanese media friends helped him get it. He was absolutely floored to receive a personalized illustration from the master himself, expressing immense gratitude for Itagaki's incredible gesture.
Lyles also shared the full artwork on his Instagram Stories. The piece features the inscription "Noah Lyles yo...!!" and depicts him in a classic, muscle-bound "Baki" pose, complete with his signature singlet-pulling move. The whole vibe is pure, unadulterated swagger, perfectly capturing his championship-bound spirit.
Of course, Lyles's anime obsession is no secret worldwide. He's previously struck iconic poses like the Kamehameha from "Dragon Ball" and Unlimited Void from "Jujutsu Kaisen" during competitions. He even received a fantastic Yu-Gi-Oh! gift package from KONAMI.
When asked about the "Baki" series, he raved, "It's so good, so cool! And this drawing is one-of-a-kind. It's definitely going straight into my trophy cabinet!"
