Noah Lyles Seals Tokyo Redemption with 100m Win at Trials

Noah Lyles, the world champion, secured victory in the 100m at the US Olympic trials, ensuring his qualification for this summer’s Games in Paris. Lyles matched his personal best of 9.83 seconds in Eugene, Oregon, after missing out on the event at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics where he finished seventh at the trials. Kenny Bednarek took second place with 9.87 seconds while Fred Kerley, the silver medallist from Tokyo 2020, finished third with 9.88 seconds to also qualify.

Noah Lyles reflected on his journey, stating, “Three years ago, I finished second to last. This year, I came back and clinched victory.” He ran a wind-assisted 9.80 seconds in the semi-finals and emphasized the importance of sticking to his plan, saying, “Nothing changed. It might be surprising to others, but when you have a goal, you stay focused on it.”

Regarding his Olympic aspirations, Lyles mentioned how his bronze in the 200m at Tokyo 2020 fueled his determination, saying, “If I hadn’t earned that third place in Tokyo, I wouldn’t have had the same desire and fire that drove me to achieve what I have since then.” Looking ahead, he remains optimistic, noting, “Now, I’m always looking forward with optimism because anything is possible.”

Christian Coleman, the 2019 world champion, missed out on qualification after finishing fourth while Sam Kendricks set a meet record of 5.92m to win the pole vault. In the 400m, 16-year-old Quincy Wilson broke his own under-18 world record with a time of 44.59 seconds to secure his place in the semi-finals.

The Olympic Games will take place from July 26 to August 11, with the men’s 100m final scheduled for August 4.