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Has anyone defeated Noah Lyles this year before Paris Olympics 2024? A closer look at the American's indoor and outdoor season
Noah Lyles has been on a dominant run in the last couple of years. Over the 200m distance, which is the stronger suit of the world champion, he hasn't lost a single race since winning the bronze medal at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. However, over the 100m, Lyles is highly vulnerable.
The 26-year-old started off his 2024 season with the 60m dashes in February. He raced seven times over the distance and was undefeated for six straight races before world record holder Christian Coleman beat him at the World Athletics Indoor Championships. He clocked 6.44s for the silver while Coleman won gold in 6.41. Lyles had earlier defeated Coleman at the USATF Indoor Championships in a personal best of 6.43s.
The world champion opened his outdoor season at the Tom Jones Memorial on April 13. He raced to victory in 10.01s. Next up was the Bermuda Grand Prix, where he again won in a wind-aided 9.96s. Lyles traveled to Jamaica for his third 100m race of the season but suffered defeat at the hands of Oblique Seville.
Seville stunned Lyles at the Racers Grand Prix, clocking 9.82s for the victory. The American came home second in 9.85. During the race, Seville looked to his right at Lyles, meters before the finish line, boasting a faster speed than the reigning world champion. It didn't go down well with the American, who claimed he would ‘see’ the Jamaican in Paris.
Lyles made three more 100 runs during the U.S. Track and Field Olympic Trials. A 9.92 in the heats was followed by a wind-assisted 9.80 in the semifinals. He won the finals in a close finish, matching his lifetime best of 9.83s to qualify for the 2024 Paris Olympics. The 26-year-old is undefeated over the 200m and also holds the world lead in the distance (19.53s).
Noah Lyles has a bigger threat to face than Oblique Seville at Paris Olympics 2024
Before the conclusion of the Jamaican Olympic Trials, Oblique Seville seemed to be the biggest threat to Noah Lyles’ ambitions of winning 100m gold at the 2024 Paris Olympics. The Jamaican had beaten him this season and also boasted a better personal best than him.
However, the Jamaican Olympic Trials saw the rise of a new sprinting star in the world, Kishane Thompson. He clocked a world-leading time of 9.77s to qualify for the Olympic Games. If his world lead wasn't a frightening sight for Lyles, coach Stephen Francis, one of Jamaica's most successful coaches, claimed Thompson could run 9.6s.
Noah Lyles hasn't run faster than 9.83s in his career so far, and although he is going to break it by the end of the Paris Olympics, the American will be highly concerned with Thompson’s form, who recently jogged to a 9.91 win at Gyulai Istvan Memorial. Nonetheless, Lyles enjoys the battle, which should be exciting in the French capital.
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