American sprinter Noah Lyles delivered a stunning performance at the London Diamond League meet on Saturday, July 20, setting a new personal best to win the 100 meters.
The Gainesville, Florida, native clocked an impressive 9.81 seconds, further establishing himself as the frontrunner for gold at the upcoming Paris Olympics and sending a strong message to his Jamaican rivals that he’s ready to continue dominating the sprints.
Lyles, who trains at PURE Athletics Track Club in Florida under renowned coach Lance Brauman, showed exceptional form in the final major competition before the Olympics.
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Despite a slow start that saw him trailing his opponents in the early meters, the world sprint double champion demonstrated his remarkable closing speed, powering past the field in the final 50 meters.
The American’s performance was particularly noteworthy given the slight headwind of -0.3 m/s. His time of 9.81 seconds surpassed his previous best of 9.83, which he had achieved at last year’s World Championships in Budapest and matched at the U.S. Olympic Trials in Eugene, Oregon.
Reflecting on his performance, Lyles expressed a mix of satisfaction and ambition.
“I could have had a better start. I’ve been having a lot better starts in practice,” he said. “I wanted to drop under 9.80, but I’ll take a PR every day of the week”.
South Africa’s Akani Simbine finished second in the competitive field with 9.86 seconds, while Botswana’s Letsile Tebogo secured third place in 9.88 seconds. The top five finishers all broke the 10-second barrier, with NCAA champion and Briton Louie Hinchliffe (9.97) and Jamaica’s Ackeem Blake (9.97) also breaking the barrier.
As Lyles heads to Paris, he carries the weight of high expectations.
The sprinter, known for his confidence, stated unequivocally, “I’m going to win. That’s what I always do.”
However, track and field experts caution that Jamaican champion Kishane Thompson, who recently ran an effortless 9.77 seconds in Kingston, could pose a significant challenge.
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