Noah Lyles roared to victory in a sensational men’s world championships 100m in Budapest on Sunday to extend the US dominance in track and field’s blue riband event in the post-Usain Bolt era.
Lyles, who already has two world 200m titles to his name and will go for a third in the Hungarian capital, clocked 9.83sec — the fastest 100m time of the season so far — for victory at the National Athletics Centre.
“They said it couldn’t be done. They said I wasn’t the one.”But I thank God I am,” Lyles bellowed after dancing around in delight when the stadium’s big screen confirmed his victory.
Lyles only finished third in the 100m at the US trials. “I have taken a lot of losses, even in the 100m,” he said. “Going to the USA championships with Covid I got a bronze medal, but a lot of people would cut me off right there and they probably did already.
“I knew what I had to do. I came here for three golds, ticked off one, others are coming.”
Lyles, one of the sprint stars currently being featured in a Netflix series being filmed, commented, “The 100m was the hardest one; it’s unprecedented.”
“I will have fun with the event I love now.”
Botswana’s Letsile Tebogo, 20, claimed silver in 9.88sec in a photo finish from Anguilla-born Briton Zharnel Hughes.
Lyles’ victory represented a fourth consecutive American gold in the men’s 100m, following in the footsteps of Justin Gatlin in London in 2017, Christian Coleman in Doha two years later and Fred Kerley in Eugene last year.
Hungarian
The final in the Hungarian capital, widely regarded as the most open in 20 years, had experienced further disruption due to a set of dramatic semi-finals.
Neither reigning champion Kerley nor Olympic champion Marcell Jacobs managed to make the final eight, opening the door for Lyles to stage his ambush.
In sultry conditions, with a temperature of 33 degrees Celsius (91 degrees Fahrenheit), Lyles took lane six, positioned outside Hughes, and had Coleman on his left.
It was 2019 champion Coleman, who missed the Tokyo Olympics because of an 18-month suspension for missing multiple drug-testing appointments, that got the better start.
Racing low and hard out of his blocks, the American was quickly ahead of the field.
But Lyles, on his coattails, gradually reeled him in through an effective drive phase over the last 60 metres.
“Coleman always has the fast start,” Lyles said. “He had it the whole season, he was even getting better and better.
“I expected him to do what he does and if he would be the only one in front of me, it would be my race. I needed to make sure that I was accelerating, when I was at the 60m, I took the lead.”
As Coleman faded, two-time world under-20 champion Tebogo delivered the race of his life for silver.