Noah Lyles, Alysa Liu, and More Olympians Honored in 27-Year-Old Prestigious List

Noah Lyles once said, “People say, ‘You’re the face of the sport.’ I’m just like, great, I’m the face of the sport, but is the sport going to come with me?” It sounded like a challenge, a quiet question about how far track and field could travel beyond the track itself. Now, his name appears on a prestigious list alongside stars like Scottie Scheffler, Chloe Kim, and Alysa Liu, proof that his impact on sprinting has begun to stretch well beyond medals.

This month, Noah Lyles has been named in the TIME100 Most Influential People of 2026 – a list that shows people shaping global attention across sport, culture, politics, and more. He appears in the “Innovators” category with his profile written by Willy Chavarria. So, what puts him in this list?

The TIME100 list follows no fixed formula or voting process. Journalists, scholars, and previous contributors all weigh in, but the editors make the final call. Selection goes beyond medals and records. It centers on influence and visibility outside of sport. Lyles earned his place partly through his Olympic gold in the 100m sprint, but his reach into fashion played just as significant a role.

“In many ways, he’s redefining strength for a new generation through openly talking about his experiences with mental health,”  Willy Chavarria wrote, “While also being expressive and unapologetically himself. That idea connects deeply to my work as a designer. I’m always thinking about how clothing can amplify that energy, how it can honor a person’s story rather than compete with it.”

He added, “Noah has that rare quality where he’s not simply running races, he’s shifting perception. He brings together style, discipline, and emotion in a way that feels powerful and necessary, and that’s incredibly inspiring to witness.”

Noah LYLES USA, SEPTEMBER 21, 2025 – Athletics : World Athletics Championships Tokyo 2025 Men s 4x100m Relay Final at National Stadium in Tokyo, Japan. PUBLICATIONxNOTxINxJPN aflo_304275500

Noah Lyles turned heads at New York Fashion Week SS25 when he hit the runway for Chavarria’s show, part of a stylish Adidas collab. The Olympic gold medalist walked alongside other athletes, looking right at home in designer pieces. He even closed out the show, proving that speed isn’t his only strong suit. Lyles stepped into fashion with the same confidence he brings to the track, and it suited him perfectly.

It’s an interesting twist, given his past friction with Adidas. Back in August 2023, Lyles wasn’t thrilled when his request for signature sneakers went nowhere. The tension peaked after he was invited to attend the launch of NBA star Anthony Edwards’ shoes. Fast forward to now, and the story has clearly turned a new page.

Later, AdidasY3 dropped a short Instagram clip showing a slick, new side of the world’s fastest man. The caption read, “ACTUALLY BOUGHT TOGETHER, the world’s fastest man @nojo18 meets Y-3’s timeless spirit. Explore the SS25 collection now.” The partnership looks stronger than ever, with Noah Lyles embracing the creative crossover.

“When I was a kid, my relationship with fashion was non-existent. As long as I was fast, I didn’t care. After that, when I turned professional, I just found fashion as another outlet for how I want to express myself,” Lyles said at the time. He began his track journey at 12 and teamed up professionally with Adidas in 2016, a connection that continues to evolve in style.

Now, Noah Lyles shared the moment on Instagram, sharing TIME’s announcement and writing: “Honored to be named to the TIME100 list of the world’s most influential people.” The recognition also came just days after his wedding, adding a personal note to an already big moment.

Alongside him, ice hockey star Hilary Knight was also named in the Innovators category. She has competed in five Winter Olympics from 2010 to 2026, becoming the first US ice hockey player to reach that mark. She has won two Olympic gold medals and three silver medals, including gold in 2018 and again in 2026.

Her entry in the TIME100 was written by Malala Yousafzai, the education activist and Nobel Peace Prize laureate, known for her work in girls’ education and global advocacy. But the list also included other young athletes.

Alysa Liu and the story behind her big recognition

Alysa Liu is featured in the TIME100 Most Influential People of 2026, “Icons” category, with her profile written by comedian and writer Bowen Yang. And Liu’s name added to this list was much more predictable, as Liu’s journey is not a straight line.

She competed at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan and won gold in women’s singles, also helping Team USA win gold in the team event. That win ended a long wait for the United States in women’s figure skating, their first Olympic gold since 2002. But before that success, she had already stepped away from the sport.

After the 2022 Olympics, she retired at just 16, stepping away at the height of her career. Burnout pushed her to seek a quieter life, choosing school, travel, and normal teenage routines over the intensity of elite training. She returned in 2024, not because of pressure but because she was ready. This time, she rebuilt her skating on her own terms, refining her style and finding freedom through music and choreography.

So, her comeback carried a simple idea: leaving at the peak does not always mean the story is over.

In the same category, Chloe Kim was also included by Sunisa Lee. Kim won silver in the women’s snowboard halfpipe at the 2026 Olympics while dealing with a shoulder dislocation and a torn labrum suffered only weeks before the event. She still managed an 88.0 score in the final.

Interestingly, before the Olympics, Kim received negative online messages early in her career as a Korean-American athlete. She spoke of comments telling her to “go back to China” and other anti-Asian remarks that started in her teenage years. Sunisa Lee shared a similar experience in 2021, when someone pepper-sprayed her and used anti-Asian slurs.

“Any athlete who has competed at the highest level knows how much work goes into moments that look effortless from the outside,” Lee wrote. “What I love about Chloe is that she doesn’t pretend it’s easy. She embraces the grind of Olympic snowboarding and still brings so much style, confidence, and personality to everything she does.”

Collectively, stories like Noah Lyles’, Liu’s, and Kim’s reveal why the TIME100 list shines: it spotlights unbreakable spirits who redefine greatness on and off the field.

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