While Noah Lyles walked away with gold to bury the demons of the Tokyo Olympics three years ago, when he harvested a mere 200m bronze, he will have one more battle in his favoured men’s 200m.
Asked whether he was confident of doubling up in the 200m, an event in which he is a three-time world champion, Lyles was in no doubt.
“100 percent,” he said.
“That’s my better event and now that I’ve got a new personal record in the 100, I’m ready to take it to the 200.”
11h ago
How Noah Lyles won the 100m race
Here’s how the race unfolded:
Starting in lane seven, outside Oblique Seville of South Africa and inside Letsile Tebogo of Botswana, Lyles got off to an average start, but was soon into his stride pattern.
Head tucked down through to the 40-metre mark, the American opened up, but the whole field pushed him all the way.
As Lyles dipped for the line with Jamaican Kishane Thompson charging alongside him, the crowd erupted and a photo-finish was called before Lyles was confirmed as gold medallist.
Lyles’s US teammate Fred Kerley took bronze in 9.81sec, just one-hundredth ahead of South African Akani Simbine, who timed 9.82sec.
In an astonishing race, defending champion Marcell Jacobs of Italy was fifth in 9.85sec, Botswana’s Letsile Tebogo sixth in 9.86sec, American Kenny Bednarek seventh in 9.88sec and Jamaican Oblique Seville eighth in 9.91sec.
Lyles’ victory was only confirmed after a photo finish.
