Olympic and world sprint champion Noah Lyles has voiced his confidence as he prepares to defend his 100m and 200m titles at next month’s World Athletics Championships in Tokyo. Despite competing in fewer races this season, the American sprinter believes his progression is building towards something special.
Lyles’ season was briefly disrupted in April by an unspecified injury that kept him out of training for several weeks. However, he signaled his return to form last weekend in Poland, running a season-best 9.90 seconds in the 100m, just 0.03 seconds shy of the world’s fastest time this year. His performance underlined his ability to peak at the right moment, even with limited competitive outings.
Speaking ahead of the Diamond League meet in Lausanne, Lyles expressed excitement about his current form. “Everybody else has had eight to 10 races already, while I’ve only had a handful,” he explained. “Sometimes you just have to step back and be excited about where you’re at. I know something great is going to happen.”
The Lausanne lineup includes strong contenders such as Courtney Lindsey of the USA and Jamaica’s Oblique Seville, both of whom have run under 9.85 this season. However, world leader Kishane Thompson, who clocked 9.75 in June, has withdrawn, meaning the much-anticipated showdown will have to wait until Tokyo.
As the reigning world champion in both the 100m and 200m, Lyles already has automatic qualification for the global event. He will also be defending his 4x100m relay crown, having anchored the United States to gold in Budapest last year. Before heading to Tokyo, Lyles is set to run one more 100m in Lausanne and then the 200m in Zurich, where he is likely to face Olympic champion Letsile Tebogo of Botswana.
“These are my final two races before the championships,” Lyles said. “My body is adjusting to the speed, and I can feel everything coming together at the right time.”
Another highlight of the Lausanne meet will be the return of Olympic 800m champion Keely Hodgkinson, who has already set a world-leading time of 1:54.74 this season, marking a strong comeback ahead of Tokyo
