American athlete has been in the news ever since he won the gold medal in men’s 100m at Paris Olympics 2024. Just five thousandths of a second separated the American champion from Jamaica's Kishane Thompson -- a thrilling finish that was the event's closest in modern history. ADVERTISEMENT He is now also being hailed as the ‘world’s fastest anime fan’.
Japanese media used the term for him after the American celebrated his win by miming an attack from "Dragon Ball". Wrapped in a US flag after the race, an over-the-moon Lyles thrust his hands forward, fingers splayed, imitating the "kamehamaha" attack used to unleash a powerful burst of energy in the franchise. The 27-year-old Lyles has made no secret of his love for Japanese pop culture, including comics and cartoons such as the global 1990s megahit "Dragon Ball".
At the Olympic trials in June, he delighted fellow anime enthusiasts by whipping out his "Yu-Gi-Oh" cards and showing them off to the cameras. "Yu-Gi-Oh!" ran in the Japanese weekly comic magazine Shonen Jump between 1996 and 2004 and gave rise to a media franchise including a trading card game. "Mankind's fastest otaku", blared a headline in Japanese sports newspaper Daily Sports.
Otaku is a Japanese term for hardcore superfans of anime, manga, video games, etc. The nickname was also used by other outlets. Anime fans on social media also recalled how Lyles had paid tribute to "Dragon Ball" creator Akira Toriyama after his death aged 68 earlier this year.
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