Yu-Gi-Oh! is a long-running franchise that, through an anime series and a successful trading card game, has stayed relevant for almost three decades, often crossing into the realm of mainstream, as proved by a U.S. Olympian’s recent stunt, showing his passion and dedication to Yu-Gi-Oh!.

As revealed in a post to the X account of @NBC Sports, sixth-time World champion sprinter and Olympic medal holder Noah Lyles, is relying on iconic Yu-Gi-Oh! cards as lucky charms to deliver him to the promised land of not only making the U.S. Men’s National team, but also carrying him forward to golden success in next month’s Paris Olympics.

It’s a custom among American sports stars to draw inspiration and strength from their favorite superheroes and comic book characters. The recent popularity of manga and anime in the West means that more and more mainstream icons, from sports to music, are letting the world know about their passion.

Noah Lyles Shows His Yi-Gi-Oh! Drip

The Athlete Carries Iconic Cards With Him During Competitions

Lyles’ reveal came during the 2024 United States Olympic trial competition for track and trials that took place at the University of Oregon. This wasn’t the first time that Noah’s expressed his otaku status. Indeed, as during the pre-race introduction the day before the @NBCSports post, Lyles, similarly, pulled out the Yu-Gi-Oh! card for the Blue-Eyes White Dragon just before stepping into his starter rig.

Lyles’ Yu-Gi-Oh! reference is not just some one-off attention grab. By pulling out the two most iconic cards in the entire franchise, Lyles shows a real understanding of its story, mythology, and lore, as he proves in this interview, also posted by @NBCSports on X:

The Yu-Gi-Oh! Exodia Card Is the Ultimate Game-Changing Power

When Fully Formed Exodia Is Unstoppable

In Yu-Gi-Oh!, the Exodia card represents the ultimate power move. It’s the most powerful, and rarest, card in the series. However, Exodia’s power isn’t just presented in one card. Instead, a player needs to assemble Exodia’s five component cards: the head, the right and left arms, and the right and left legs. If a player has all these cards on the battlefield, as Yugi did during his infamous first win over Kaiba, they automatically win the game.

Just like in the manga, Lyles’s choice to bring out the Exodia card proved fortuitous. Not only he sealed his spot on the Olympic team for the men’s 100-meter race but did so by achieving his personal best time, an eye-popping 9.83 seconds from start to finish. Naturally, if he continues to rely on his Yu-Gi-Oh! good luck charm strategy, there’s no telling how much Lyles will be able to accomplish during the Olympics.

Source: @NBA Sports