‘Olympic sprinter Lyles’ NYT Mini Crossword clue answer and hints

Now the Summer Olympics in Paris are all said and done for 2024, it can be hard to remember the names of specific athletes in fields you may not have watched. This is why today’s NYT Crossword clue, “Olympic sprinter Lyles,” might be tough to crack.

This Olympic clue is from the Sept. 16 NYT Mini Crossword puzzle, and if you’re unsure who this star athlete is, don’t worry; I’ve got the answer.

‘Olympic sprinter Lyles’ NYT Mini Crossword clue Sept. 16 hints and answer

• Hint 1: It starts with an “N.”
• Hint 2: It ends with an “H.”
• Hint 3: It contains two vowels.
• Hint 4: A famous person with this name also had an Ark.

The answer to the “Olympic sprinter Lyles” clue from the Sept. 16 NYT Mini Crossword puzzle is “NOAH.” Noah Lyles is an American sprinter who recently came first in the Men’s 100 metre and third in the Men’s 200 metre at the 2024 Paris Olympics.

All Sept. 16 clues and answers from the NYT Mini Crossword puzzle

Across

• 1A This Across — ONE
• 4A This Across — FOUR
• 6A Subway costs — FARES
• 8A Sound from a goose…or a Ram? — HONK
• 9A ____sauce (condiment) — SOY

Down

• 1D How phones should be in a movie theater, ideally — OFF
• 2D Olympic sprinter Lyles — NOAH
• 3D Banknotes used in 20 countries — EUROS
• 5D Nevada city near Lake Tahoe — RENO
• 7D Rhyming place to fly — SKY

‘Olympic sprinter Lyles’ clue difficulty

I didn’t watch much of the 2024 Paris Olympics (it was at a tough time for us Australians), and what I did watch wasn’t the men’s track races. So, I didn’t know who the sprinter Lyles was until I finished the crossword puzzle. If you follow the men’s races or read highlights of the Olympics, you might know who. It was tough for those of us who don’t follow this sport but easy to figure out in the end, which is why I’m giving this clue a difficulty rating of three out of five.

Short and sweet mini word games and crossword puzzles to play

If you’re after a few more short and sweet mini games, try the mini crosswords from the LA Times or the Washington Post, or enjoy these word games from the NYT: Strands or Spelling Bee.