Noah Lyles, the Paris Olympics' 100m champion, is reveling in joining an elite club and has shrugged off criticism over his self confidence.

The 27-year-old targeted a 100m and 200m double at Paris 2024, but having won the 100m, came away with bronze from the 200m after falling ill with COVID-19.

Following that third in the 200m, gold medallist Letsile Tebogo labeled Lyles "arrogant and loud," but the American insists he is just misunderstood.

"If you throw yourself out there, there's always going to be critics," he said. "There's always going to be hate, because people are going to form opinions, because you're now so high up there that they can't see you as everyday people of everyday society."

READ: Lyles wins Olympic 100m gold in closest finish in modern history

Meanwhile, Lyles said he was proud to have joined an exclusive list of American greats who have won the 100m.

"I hear people talk about them as they are legends," he said, referring to the likes of Carl Lewis and Jesse Owens.

"I'm like, 'Oh wow, are people going to start talking like me like that in the future someday, like, he was a legend, he was a part of one of the greatest 100-meter races ever,'" Lyles added. "Everybody looks at this as such a great achievement. I only look at this as the beginning."

(Production: Christine Uyanik, Iain Axon)